COVID-19 Recommendations and Guidelines

04.2.2020

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02:08 pm

As of March 31, 2020, the State of Florida has approximately 5,700 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, with over 60% of those cases occurring in the Counties of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. To supplement the multiple County and Municipal orders issued in an effort to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Governor of Florida has issued Executive Order 20-89.

This Executive Order effectively expands the guidelines set out in Miami-Dade County Emergency Order 07-20 and subsequent amendments across Monroe, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.

This “safer at home” order: Closes all non-essential commercial and retail businesses, parks, beaches, and recreational facilities; Restricts hotels, motels and short-term rentals to accepting “essential lodgers” only; Urges all individuals to remain in their homes except to engage in “essential activities;” Directs all “essential” businesses to follow the CDC’s guidelines regarding sanitation and cleanliness, and ensure that people visiting such businesses adhere to the CDC’s social distancing guidelines; Please note: each county has the discretion to define their own “essential” businesses, and the guidelines in this Order are meant to act as MINIMUM standards, and each county and the local authority is permitted to impose more stringent standards to protect their residents.

We continue to be fully operational and available to assist you through this difficult time. Thank you very much for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.
PALM BEACH COUNTY UPDATE – COVID-19 Virus Recommendations and Guidelines
 
As of March 30, 2020, the State of Florida has nearly 5,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, with nearly 10% of those cases occurring in Palm Beach County. As a result, the County has issued an Amendment to Emergency Order #3, clarifying the Order and directing the following: Effective as of March 25, 2020, all public and private parks within Palm Beach County are closed. This includes, but is not limited to: all municipal parks; all private community parks; all parks within public, private, and gated communities; and all regional and district county parks. Effective as of March 25, 2020, all public and private golf courses within Palm Beach County are closed. This includes, but is not limited to: municipal golf courses; private membership-only access golf courses and golf clubs; community association and condominium association golf courses and parks; homeowner association golf courses, golf clubs, and parks; and every other golf course, golf facility and park within unincorporated and incorporated Palm Beach County. Effective as of March 30, 2020, at 12:01 a.m., all community pools in Palm Beach County are closed, including community pools in both incorporated and unincorporated Palm Beach County. If your association has not yet closed the common areas, such as clubhouses, gyms, pools, playgrounds, etc., you are now mandated by the County to close these facilities until further notice, to further protect the health, safety, and welfare of the association, its members, and its members’ families, tenants, guests, agents or invitees.
In addition, the Amendment strongly urges individuals to remain in their homes, except: To engage in activities or perform tasks critical to their health and safety, or to the health and safety of their family or household members (including, but not limited to, pets) To obtain necessary services or supplies for themselves and their family or household members (including, but not limited to, pets), or to deliver those services or supplies to others. To care for a family member, friend, or pet in another household, and to transport family members, friends, or pets for activities as allowed by this Policy; To engage in individual daily outdoor exercise that complies with CDC social distancing guidelines, with all requirements of the Executive Orders issued by the Governor of the State of Florida and all Palm Beach County Emergency Orders, and with all measures advised by the CDC and the Florida Department of Health regarding social distancing; and To engage in the minimum activities necessary for the conduct of Minimum Basic Operations (as defined in Section 3 and 44 of Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 2a (2020-002a) or to engage in or patronize critical businesses (as enumerated in Section 4 of Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 2a (2020-002a), unless otherwise expressly exempted from the limitations pursuant to the Amendment to Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 1 (2020-001a). We continue to be fully operational and available to assist you through this difficult time. Thank you very much for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.
UPDATE: COVID-19 Virus and Short-Term/Vacation Rentals

As of March 30, 2020, the State of Florida has nearly 5,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, many of those cases resulting from people coming into Florida from other states and countries. Therefore, to curtail the spread of COVID-19 to Florida residents, the Governor of the State of Florida has issued Executive Order #20-87, ordering all parties engaged in the rental of vacation rental properties to suspend vacation rental operations.

The order defines “vacation rental” as any house, condominium, cooperative, or dwelling unit that is rented for less than 1 month at a time and advertised or held out as a place regularly rented.

The Executive Order prohibits all NEW reservations, bookings, or guest check-ins of vacation rentals while this order is in effect. However, the Executive Order DOES NOT apply to vacation rentals where guests are currently staying in a vacation rental or had previously-booked reservations where check-in was scheduled for March 28, 2020, or earlier. The Order also does not apply if the guests are “persons performing military, emergency, governmental, health, or infrastructure response, or travelers engaged in non-vacation commercial activities.”

If any units in your association are being used as short term/vacation rental properties, such as Airbnbs, under this Executive Order they are not allowed to take new reservations or allow new guests to check in to the property. If there are guests already staying in the property under reservations made before March 28, 2020, those guests are permitted to stay there through the end of their reservation.

We will provide an update on actions the association may take if they discover a violation of the Executive Order.

We continue to be fully operational and available to assist you through this difficult time. Thank you very much for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.      

UPDATE – COVID-19 Virus Recommendations and Guidelines

As of March 28, 2020, the State of Florida has nearly 3,800 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, with over half of those cases occurring in the Tri-County area. As a result, the State of Florida has declared a State of Emergency, and the following orders have been issued by the County governments:

  • Miami-Dade County has issued a “safer at home” order: https://www.miamidade.gov/information/library/coronavirus-emergency-order-safer-at-home.pdf
  • Broward County has issued a “shelter in place” order: https://www.broward.org/CoronaVirus/Documents/BC-EmergencyOrder20-03.pdf
  • Palm Beach County has issued orders closing “non-essential” businesses, all parks, beaches, golf courses, and “non-critical” businesses (Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner stated that the order is, in effect, a shelter-in-place mandate with exceptions): http://discover.pbcgov.org/PDF/COVID19/Emergency-Order-Number-2.pdf
  • In addition, the following municipalities have issued their own orders to curtail the spread of the virus, with more surely to come:
  • The City of Miami Beach has issued a “safer at home” order: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Safer-At-Home-Emergency-Order-Revised-03262020-updated-with-backup.pdf
  • Coral Gables has instituted a curfew of 10:00 pm: https://www.coralgables.com/media/PublicAffairs/CG%20curfew%20order.pdf
  • Every city in Broward County has issued an order (the orders are substantially similar), here are a few examples:
  • Boca Raton has issued a “stay home” order: https://www.myboca.us/DocumentCenter/View/23954/Stay-at-Home-Emergency-Order-PDF?bidId=
  • Under these orders, residents are strongly urged to remain in their homes, except for “essential” activities, such as shopping for food or exercising, while adhering to “social distancing” guidelines.
    The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has issued Emergency Order 2020-04, allowing Condominium Associations, Cooperative Associations, and Homeowners Associations to invoke their emergency powers under Florida Statutes 718.1265(1), 719.128(1), and 720.316(1), respectively, to prevent the spread of the virus and help protect the health, safety, and welfare of the association, unit owners, their families, members, tenants, guests, agents and/or invitees. See, http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/emergency/
                More specifically, while the state of emergency is in effect, Associations are now permitted to, among other actions:
  • Conducting board meetings and membership meetings with notice given as is practicable;
  • Authority to cancel and reschedule any association meeting(s);
  • Name assistant officers, who are not directors, which assistant officers shall have the same authority as executive officers;
  • Determine any portion of the condominium property unavailable for entry or occupancy by owners, guests or invitees to protect the health, safety or welfare of the community;
  • Contract for items or services for which the owners are otherwise individually liable, but which are necessary to prevent further damage to the association property.  Association may recover these amounts pursuant to its lien authority.
              To further reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made the following recommendations regarding proper cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces:
     Surfaces
  • If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
  • For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
    • Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
  • Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
    • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
    • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
    • Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims are expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
    • For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning:
    • If the items can be laundered, launder items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and then dry items completely.
    • Otherwise, use products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claim that are suitable for porous surfaces
  •  Linens, Clothing, and Other Items That Go in the Laundry
  • Do not shake dirty laundry; this minimizes the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air.
  • Wash items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.
  • Clean and disinfect hampers or other carts for transporting laundry according to the guidance above for hard or soft surfaces.

We continue to be available to assist you through this difficult time. Thank you very much for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

Annual Report filing deadline extended until June 30, 2020
Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-52 and Department of State Emergency Order 2020-01 signed March 27, 2020, the time requirements for business entities to file annual reports are suspended and tolled until June 30, 2020.  Any profit corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership or limited liability limited partnership annual report filing will have until 12:01 am Eastern Time on July 1, 2020, before a $400 late fee is assessed. Nonprofit corporations are not subject to the late fee.

Online Annual Report filing services remain operational at this time.  To file your report, click on Annual Report <https://dos.myflorida.com/
sunbiz/manage-business/efile/annual-report/
> under Filing Services at Sunbiz.org <http://www.sunbiz.org/>.  

Sunbiz.org <http://www.sunbiz.org/> remains the only official website of the Department of State, Division of Corporations. You will know you are in the right place when you see our official Sunbiz.org logo and header identifying the website as an official State of Florida website.
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