COVID-19 Information and Resources for Tourism Partners

You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

The above quote is in reference to the book Good to Great, by Jim Collins and “The Stockdale Paradox” named after Admiral Jim Stockdale. You can read the full excerpt here.

As we face our current reality of the impact that the COVID-19 Pandemic is having on the tourism industry and all aspects of our daily lives, Visit Lake (tourism) and Elevate Lake (economic development) will be here to support and provide resources and reliable information to our local industry partners. We will work closely with all of our partners to ensure a strong support program to welcome visitors to “Real Florida. Real Close.” as soon as we can.

This page is to be used as just one of many resource pages that you can access for information regarding local, state and national news, tourism industry resources and more. We understand that this is a difficult time for our businesses and residents. Please do your part to take this situation seriously and implement the necessary precautions to help minimize impact,

Important Request of Industry Partners: We strongly encourage our tourism partners to begin tracking cancellation data and other similar data that tells the story of the economic harm our industry is currently experiencing. Gathering this data now is important and may help us speed up our recovery. Additionally, please participate in the Department of Economic Opportunity business damage assessment survey.

We encourage our partners to follow @VisitLakeFL Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tag us in your stories and posts so we can share your content. Also, use the hashtag #ShareMyLake on Instagram for us to repost your photos.

As always, if you have any questions or thoughts regarding this page, or if we can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 352-742-3918 or email us at visitlake@lakecountyfl.gov.

COVID-19 Information

Lake County, FL COVID-19 Website – For the current news and updates regarding Lake County messages and responses to COVID-19.

Florida Department of Health | COVID-19 website – This includes Florida specific information, trends, emergency management and Executive Orders from Governor DeSantis. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Florida Department of Health hotline in Lake County by calling (352) 742-4830. The Call Center is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

CDC COVID-19 Resource Page – For current news, resources and information from the national Centers for Disease Control

Tourism Industry Resources

Visit Lake FL | Partner Portal

VISIT FLORIDA |COVID-19 Resources and Information for Businesses

VISIT FLORIDA | Current Travel Safety Information for Travelers

Destinations International | COVID-19 Travel Industry Resource Page

US Travel Association | COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response

Reopening Resources

Phase One: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.

Starting May 4, 2020, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ issued Executive Order 20-112, “Phase One: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.” He received input and advice from prominent physicians, health care system executives, small business owners, elected officials, unemployed Floridians, and law enforcement. A Re-Open Florida Task Force was convened, which produced a report with recommendations. The results are as follows:

Schools remain distance learning.
Visits to senior living facilities are prohibited.
Elective surgeries can resume.
Restaurants may offer outdoor seating with six foot space between tables and indoor seating at 25% capacity.
Retail can operate at 25% of indoor capacity.
No change for bars, gyms, and personal services such as hair dressers.
Vulnerable individuals should avoid close contact with people outside the home.
All individuals, when in public, should maximize physical distance from others.
Avoid socializing in groups of more than 10 people in circumstances that do not readily allow for physical distancing.
Face masks are recommended for all those in face-to-face interactions and where you can’t social distance.
State Parks to reopen on May 4th. as well.

FAQ’s for Executive Order 20-112 “Phase One: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.”

Governor DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force & Executive Orders

Governor DeSantis’ “Phase One: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.” announcement presentation from April 29, 2020

Lake County issues additional COVID-19 protocol guidance

On May 1, 2020, in support of the COVID-19 order that Gov. DeSantis signed on April 29, Lake County Commission Chairman Leslie Campione signed an order providing additional protocols and guidelines for residents and businesses. The local order was signed by Chairman Campione to assist local businesses with creating safe environments and restoring consumer confidence. “This order was implemented to protect the health and safety of our residents, businesses and stakeholders as we begin the process of re-opening our county,” Campione said. “Residents should always assess their own risks and make decisions accordingly. Consider using a mask when you’re in public spaces where adequate distancing is not possible, especially when indoors.”

Click here to view the LAKE COUNTY EMERGENCY ORDER PROVIDING PROTOCOLS AND GUIDELINES FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES RELATING TO COVID-19

Additional Reopening Resources

U.S. Travel Association Industry Guidance for Promoting the Health and Safety of All Travelers

American Hotel & Lodging Association – “Safe Stay” Industry-wide Hotel Cleaning and Safety Standards Initiative

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association FAQs for Reopening Phase 1

Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Reopening Best Practices

Florida Attractions Association Reopening Florida’s Attractions Resource Website

Orange County Government’s Regional Economic Recovery Task Force

Business & Employee Resources

Elevate Lake COVID-19 Business Resources website – The Office of Elevate Lake, the economic development office of Lake County, is continuously working to provide the most up-to-date information and resources available to local businesses and employees during this time. Visit their website for more information and resources that may be available to you or email Elevate Lake at info@elevatelake.com.

CARES Act

National Restaurant Association | “CARES Act” Executive Summary for Restaurants

FRLA | Small Business Owner’s Guide to the “CARES Act”

Southeast Tourism Society | “CARES Act” Summary

Marketing Resources

Google My Business Essentials During COVID-19

VISIT FLORIDA Small Business Toolkit

Destinations Florida Tourism Strong Recovery Marketplace

Facebook Small Business Grants Program

Employee Resources

CareerSource Florida

CareerSource Central Florida