St. Johns County commissioners voted last week to declare a state of emergency, giving the county emergency powers to deal with the health crisis.
The county’s Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level II and the EOC Citizens Information Line will also be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Residents with questions and concerns can call 904-824-5550.
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All public beach parking lots in St. Johns County, including the city of St. Augustine Beach, will be closed under the local state of emergency, effective at 6 a.m. on Monday, March 23, and will remain closed until further notice.
“After evaluating near-record beach attendance over the weekend and consulting with local law enforcement officials, it is clear that the county needs to take additional steps to further reduce the size of the crowds on our beaches,” said Hunter S. Conrad. “Our goal is to allow the beaches to remain as accessible as possible to our residents, while still observing CDC guidelines and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of our community.”
County officials said the determination to close all public beach parking lots is based upon a recommendation to reduce health risks associated with COVID-19 and beach overcrowding.
Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced.
Flagler Hospital is open but visitation is limited to one person 18 and above per patient and limited to 7-11 am and 4-8 p.m.
St. Augustine is suspending its iconic trollies for 15 days. Parking meter enforcement will be suspended.
Gatherings in the city are limited to 10 or less.
National Park Service temporarily suspended visitor service operations at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments. Park visitor facilities, programming and visitor services are closed.
Romanza Festival 2020 has been cancelled.
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The county had already closed most of its facilities and programs to the public through March 29. This includes:
• All St. Johns County libraries and the library bookmobile • All recreational facilities, recreational programming, recreational events, and all permitted events, including organized youth and adult sports, on St. Johns County property • The St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Gift Shop and all permitted events on associated county property, including the parking lot, volleyball courts and the pier pavilion. • All events scheduled to occur at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds • All events scheduled to occur at the St. Johns County Agriculture Center • All events scheduled to occur at the St. Johns Golf Club • The St. Johns County Pet Center • All St. Johns County recycling and community collection events • All St. Johns County Fire Rescue community programming.
St. Johns County beaches are closed to vehicles beginning March 21.
The city of St. Augustine has canceled free park and ride shuttle services through April 1.
The St. Johns County Tax Collector began offering face masks and gloves to customers and staff, sanitizing chairs, doors, handles and more to help keep the community safe and encouraged anyone who feels sick to stay home. And, in case you didn’t hear, the state has extended driver’s licenses and identification cards with expiration dates of March 16-April 15, 2020, for 30 days.
As the Florida Supreme Court has suspended all criminal and civil jury through March 30, anyone summoned through March 30 is excused. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), the Florida Supreme Court has suspended all grand jury proceedings, jury selection proceedings and criminal and civil jury trials through Friday, March 27, 2020.
Those who have been summoned for jury duty through March 30 are hereby excused and do not need to report. The courthouse remains open for all other services, many of which may be performed online at https://stjohnsclerk.com.
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum will be closed through March 29. They will reassess the situation before opening on March 30th.
Council on Aging Senior Centers will be closed through April 7. Meals on Wheels service will continue.
St. Johns County’s garbage, recycling, and yard debris collection schedule will not change due to any COVID-19 related closures. All collections will continue as scheduled on standard collection days. The Tillman Ridge and Stratton Road solid waste scale houses will remain open during standard business hours. For more information, please call 904.827.6980.
All events in the City of St. Augustine Beach through May 9, 2020, will be postponed. This includes 5K Betty Griffin Run and Arbor Day Event at City Hall.
Also, effective Monday, March 23, the following policies, procedures, and actions will remain in effect until further notice:
- Public Meeting Procedures – In accordance with State of Florida Executive Order 20-69, local government and public meetings do not require a quorum to be present in person or meet in a specific public place. In addition, communications media technology, such as telephonic and video conferencing, may be utilized to conduct public meetings. The order does not suspend any other requirement under the Florida Constitution or “Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Laws”.
- Limited Public Building Access – All St. Johns County facilities are operating under limited public access restrictions. In an effort to reduce the size of public gatherings and maintain the CDC recommended minimum distance of 6 feet between parties, each facility will implement individual guidelines relative to their specific building clientele and services. Measures could include the closure of public lobbies, the encouragement of online business practices, and the reduction of building occupancy.
- COVID-19 Closure and Cancellation Extensions – All current St. Johns County facility closures and program cancellations associated with COVID-19 are extended through April 17. The closure extension applies to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, all St. Johns County public libraries, and recreational programming and facilities.
St. Johns County will continue to evaluate and adapt all policies and practices in order to appropriately respond to COVID-19. For more information, please call the St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center COVID-19 Hotline at 904.824.5550.
Schools closed through April 15
On Friday, St. Johns County schools added a second week of spring break. On Tuesday, the state ordered all public schools to stay closed through at least April 15.
On March 21, Superintendent Tim Forson decided to close all campuses effective immediately. Parents may contact teachers by email and their child or children’s school by email or phone.
The district is exploring offering online education for about 43,000 students during the extended closure. Middle and high schools currently use Schoology as an online communication platform.
For elementary schools, the district is looking at hybrid solutions featuring online learning and packets to help younger students stay engaged while focusing on reading development and math context and skills.
All SJCSD employees are asked to stay home with the exception of essential 12-month personnel. Teachers and staff will receive direct communication from their principal/supervisor on or before Monday, March 23 with plans for the upcoming week.
Online learning and instruction will begin on Monday, March 30. Parents should expect to receive communication from their child’s teacher by Wednesday, March 25.
A Laptop and/or Mobile Hotspot Request Form has been posted to the district website, www.stjohns.k12.fl.us, and on each school’s website. If you need to request a computer and/or mobile hotspot to provide internet access at home, please complete this form online. If you do not have the capability to complete this form online, then call your school to receive assistance. If you have previously called the school to request technology, you must still submit this request form.
The deadline for completion is Thursday, March 26 at noon. Only one form should be filled out per family as we will not have the capability to support multiple devices per household. This information will be used to identify families in need and to help prioritize the limited number of devices available.
St. Johns County School District Meal Service: Follow link for more information and locations where meals can be picked up.
All Flagler College classes will be online for two weeks beginning March 23, after the college’s regularly scheduled spring break. Historic Tours of Flagler College have been canceled until further notice.
St. Johns River State College is on spring break. All faculty and staff will report to campus on March 23 and all classes will start on March 25 as online classes. All courses will remain online through at least April 12.
Getting tested for COVID-19
For information about testing sites in St. Johns County, follow this link.
Libraries host Facebook Live storytime
The St. Johns County Public Library is hosting virtual storytimes at 11 a.m., Monday through Friday, on Facebook Live.
In an effort to provide services to residents during the COVID-19 closure, youth services librarians will be reading stories from the library’s collection.
The storytimes last approximately 30 minutes and are recorded and posted on the Library’s Facebook page for those who miss the live showing.
For more information, or to watch a storytime, visit www.facebook.com/sjcpls.
Events canceled/changed
In response to health concerns, St. Johns County postpone all public events scheduled at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall through May 8, including:
St. Augustine Amphitheatre Events
- March 20 – Justin Moore & Tracy Lawrence
- March 21 – Saturday Farmers Market
- March 22- St. Augustine Spring Record Fair
- March 22 – Blue October
- March 24 – Tuesday Night Market
- March 25 – Against Me!
- March 27 – Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and Old Crow Medicine Show (Rescheduled to August 20)
- March 28 – Buddy Guy and Kenny Wayne Shepherd
- March 28 – Saturday Farmers Market
- April 3 – Dark Star Orchestra
- April 4 – Saturday Farmers Market
- April 7 – St. Augustine EcoCinema presents “Plastic Paradise”
- April 10 – Colonial Church presents Good Friday Service (Rescheduled to April 2, 2021)
- May 8 – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Events
- March 18 – Graham Nash (Rescheduled to November 12)
- March 19 – The Expendables
- March 20 – Steve Hackett
- March 22 – Graham Nash (Rescheduled to November 13)
- March 24 – The Music of Cream
- March 25 – Bruce Hornsby (Rescheduled to November 15)
- March 26 – Stephen Lynch
- March 28 – Pablo Cruise
- April 1 – Jimmie Vaughan
- April 2 – Hayes Carll
- April 3 – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (Rescheduled to August 21)
- April 10 – Leo Kottke (Rescheduled to June 21)
- April 13 – Justin Hayward
- April 17 - 19 – Apex Theatre Studio presents The Addams Family
The venues are working with artists and industry partners to confirm rescheduled dates for postponed events. Ticket holders will be contacted with information as it is confirmed. For more information on ticketing, Ticketmaster has created a Help Center online at www.ticketmaster.com to provide fans guidance.
Check the Amp News Page at www.theamp.com/news and the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall News Page at www.pvconcerthall.com for latest updates.
RELATED: List of cancellations/changes of all Jacksonville-area event
Business changes
Many businesses are closing, minimizing hours or, in the case of restaurants, closing their dining rooms and offering only take-out or delivery service. Check with the individual business before visiting.
As mentioned, all bars will be closed for 30 days. Restaurants that also have bars, like Prohibition Kitchen, can remain open under current state guidance.
All YMCAs and many other gyms have closed entirely.
The pools and water park at Nocatee have closed.
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park announced Monday, March 23, that it was closed until further notice.
“Rest assured, the best of care is still being provided to our entire animal collection,” the park said.
Sunshine Bus Company
In accordance with the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations for restricting public gatherings during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Sunshine Bus Company is implementing a Social Distancing Policy restricting the number of occupants to 10 per vehicle, including the driver, and requiring patrons to maintain a six-foot distance from other passengers.
“The safety of our riders and employees is a top priority for the Sunshine Bus Company,” the company said in a statement.
To sustain transportation services during this time, drivers have been instructed to call dispatch when nine passengers have boarded their vehicle to ensure that another vehicle will be dispatched for additional passengers.
“We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time,” the company said.
If you have any questions, call 904-209-3716, or e-mail customerservice@stjohnscoa.com. For the latest St. Johns County COVID-19 information and updates, visit www.sjcfl.us.