The Lakeland City Commission voted unanimously (7-0) this week on a resolution that adopted COVID-19 safety measures.
Within the resolution language, the City Commission recommends and urges in the strongest possible terms that all citizens, businesses and organizations within the City of Lakeland observe the following safety measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the community:
- Practice Social Distancing by maintaining at least six feet from others not living within the same home. This includes avoiding large gatherings and using virtual meeting technology whenever possible for business and community meetings.
- Wear a face-covering per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines in all public indoor locations where social distancing is not possible and consider wearing a face-covering when attending large outdoor gatherings.
- Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds using soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Recognize that COVID-19 transmission is taking place in non-public settings as well and take necessary precautions to avoid infecting and becoming infected by others.
- Businesses are strongly encouraged to require face coverings following CDC guidelines for all employees coming into physical contact with the public and by all customers entering a business. This is subject to exceptions for employees and customers unable to wear face coverings for health reasons, when safety, security or other business purposes preclude the wearing of a face covering.
Mayor Bill Mutz said, “The resolution is intended to express the strongest recommendation possible by the Lakeland City Commission that masks and face coverings are very important to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The resolution doesn’t impose any criminal or civil sanctions but it is a solemn call for citizens and businesses to conscientiously come together in this very atypical time.”
Mayor Mutz, “Mask wearing is simply caring enough about other people and the economy. It is important that we beat this virus and we can by following CDC guidelines that include wearing a face covering when out in public.”
The COVID-19 positivity rate has averaged 15.76% in Polk County over the last 14-days. The County is now averaging 500 positive cases per day compared to 90 per day just two months ago.
The resolution went into effect immediately upon passing and it is set to expire in 13 weeks on April 19, 2021.