Reopen: the St. Pete Way

Pinellas County has created a Digital Toolkit – a dedicated resource page with links to a variety of fliers and signs you and your business partners may use as needed. Some ways to use these include: print and post at the establishments, and print/laminate and post in the parking lots so customers encounter the requirements before arriving at the front door (which may help further distance businesses from initial visitor reactions).

UPDATE: Wednesday, June 24th 

Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday passed an emergency ordinance requiring that citizens wear face coverings in most indoor public places, and restaurants and bars to implement new safety and anti-crowding measures.

The countywide ordinance takes effect Wednesday, June 24, at 5 p.m., and will remain in effect through the duration of Pinellas County’s State of Local Emergency. The Board extended that declaration through July 3 and can continue to renew it on a weekly basis.

Requirements:

• Citizens must wear a face covering while in most indoor public places within Pinellas County, although the Board provided several exceptions.Among them:
  o The mandate cannot conflict with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  o It does not apply if a person is strictly adhering to social distancing and there are 10 or fewer people in the location who are also maintaining social distancing.
  o It does not apply to governmental entities such as schools, courthouses or city halls, although those entities are encouraged to develop procedures to protect employees and the public.
  o If a person is under age 18, that person’s use of a face covering is left to the discretion of that person’s parent, guardian or an accompanying adult.
  o Religious rituals such as various forms of singing are permitted provided that social distancing is strictly maintained.
  o Exercising while social distancing, such as in a gym, is permitted without a face covering.
•  Restaurant and bar staff must wear a face covering while on duty and while directly or indirectly preparing food or beverage, or serving food or beverage, or having customer contact, regardless of where the food or beverage is being prepared or whether the customers are inside or outside. Customers can remove their face coverings while dining or consuming a beverage when seated and social distancing.
•  Restaurants and bars must position chairs and tables so that parties of one or more are separated by six feet and patrons are not standing at the bar or congregating in any area.
• Retail employees must wear face coverings unless working in an area of the business that is not open to the customers and has social distancing measures in place.

View Ordinance No. 20-14

UPDATE: Monday, May 18th 

State of Florida & Pinellas County Additional Guidance for Phase One Reopening.

The following CAN request to Open: Vacation Rentals

o Pinellas County is currently seeking authorization from the State
of Florida to permit vacation rentals.

View Full Guidelines by clicking here

Pinellas County Updates: Learn More

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 23rd

1. Fighting Chance Fund: The new application period with program changes is now available, as Tuesday, June 23rd, at 8:00 AM.
   If you previously applied and your application was declined, you are eligible to reapply if you meet new criteria. A new application must be submitted.View Fighting Chance Fund Round 3 Guidelines Summary

2. New Executive Order: Mayor Rick Kriseman signed a mandatory mask order on Monday, requiring all patrons to wear a mask inside enclosed businesses.

   The order will go into effect at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

   Kriseman signed the order the day before the Pinellas County Commission is set to consider three mask order variations. If the Commission passes a countywide order, Kriseman’s order will be moot.

   According to St. Petersburg’s order, the public is required to wear a face mask or face covering over nose and mouth in any public place of assemblage, which is defined as “any room, space, common area, or other location within a building or other structure that is located within the City that is open to the public or made available for use by the public.”

   The order DOES NOT apply to:

   • Outdoor or partially enclosed area

   • Residences, or dwelling or sleeping areas of hotels, apartment buildings, and dormitories

   • Daycares, educational facilities, health and ambulatory care facilities, and detention/correctional facilities such as jails or prisons

Further exemptions to the order include:

• Cases in which there are less than 10 people and all maintain six feet of social distancing
• While eating or drinking
• While exercising or using exercise equipment
• While singing, public speaking or playing certain musical instruments
• While receiving personal services that involve the mouth, nose, skin
• While communicating with someone who is hearing impaired
• If having trouble breathing, unconscious or unable to remove the face mask without assistance; or in any case in which wearing a mask could be detrimental to someone’s health or safety

Violations of the mask ordinance will be treated as code violations and be subject to fines.

NOTE: Report violations to the St. Petersburg Police Department’s non-emergency phone number: (727) 893-7780.

View Executive Order 2020-26

UPDATE: Thursday June 18th

Mayor Rick Kriseman announced that as of 5 :00 PM on Friday, June 19th, all St. Petersburg businesses “will be required to have their employees wear a face mask or covering while in areas of the business open to the public.”

The order is intended for all businesses, including restaurants, bars, gyms, retail establishments, salons and barbershops.

View Executive Order 2020-24

Alongside enforced capacity limits and social distancing requirements, businesses will be required to create and post a specific COVID-19 mitigation plan, which identifies contact points for possible exposure and spread and how those risks are being addressed.

UPDATE: Monday, May 18

Open to the Public May 18
– Computer access by appointment at Johnson, North and South Community Libraries
– Book returns at Main and Mirror Lake Libraries

Starting June 1
– Curbside delivery by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM – 5 PM at Main and Mirror Lake Community Libraries

Contact participating libraries to schedule an appointment. CDC guidelines are still in effect: Keep a physical distance of 6 ft. or more from others. Click here to see more details in the Orders and Policies section.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 13th

Restart St. Pete  – Temporary Retail/Restaurant Outdoor Expansion Program 

UPDATE: Monday, May 4th

BEACHES WILL OPEN EFFECTIVE MONDAY, MAY 4th: By the order of Pinellas County, St. Petersburg’s beaches will reopen on Monday, May 4. This includes Lassing Beach, Maximo Beach, North Shore Beach, and the St. Petersburg Municipal Beach at Treasure Island.

Please be aware that swimming is not permitted at Lassing Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines are still in effect. Please continue to practice physical distancing of 6 ft. or more and large gatherings are prohibited.

CITY POOLS WILL OPEN EFFECTIVE MONDAY, MAY 4th: The St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department will be opening North Shore Aquatic Complex and Walter Fuller Pool.

Learn more about City pool hours and operations.

UPDATE: Thursday, April 30th
Statement from Mayor Rick Kriseman related to April 29, 2020 State of Florida Order:

“Related to restaurants in St. Petersburg, they may prepare to follow the state’s order permitting them to open at 25 percent occupancy indoors and with six foot spacing between tables outdoors beginning on May 4th, 2020. I want to be clear that the state’s order does not require restaurants and retail establishments to open on Monday, it simply permits them to do so if they choose to do so. Retail establishments that were previously closed may also reopen on Monday at 25 percent occupancy. Our current reading of the recent order is that localities cannot expand the governor’s restrictions, only further restrict them, and I will not do that in this instance.

I can assure all restaurateurs and business owners in St. Petersburg that they will have time to prepare if I were to further restrict a state order. It is important that our restaurants and retail establishments have clarity as soon as possible and that there is uniformity whenever possible.”

More City of St. Petersburg info at stpete.org/emergency.