While the Emergency Policy Group often speaks with one voice, a spontaneous vote on Monday led to a large divide in the group.
EPG Chair Les Miller started the conversation voicing his frustration upon learning members of the community were disregarding the call to self-isolate and were engaging in large gatherings. Citing calls to HCSO along with a few specific gatherings that were brought to their attention, he implored the group to give some serious thought on how to let the public know they were serious about staying home.
The answer came in the form of a curfew.
Over the weekend, there were nearly 40 calls concerning large gatherings. Sheriff Chronister said Plant City Police Department arrested someone throwing a large party who refused to comply. He added that, as of Monday, his department received 214 complaints about violations of the county’s social distancing rules. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor shared a story of a gathering with more than 100 people in Tampa last week. She said their community is filled with individuals that have the social media influence to Instagram a location and get two to three hundred people to gather there together within a matter of minutes.
Chronister said when his deputies show up to these large groups, for the most part, they educate them on why this is not acceptable and the group disbands. However, the problem then becomes the question of what they are bringing back to their families. With many living in multigenerational homes, large gatherings will inevitably lead to another spike in COVID-19 patients.
“I think we just have to tighten down a little more,” Commissioner Sandra Murman said. “People are saying to me, ‘Oh, we don’t have that many cases. They’re relaxing their whole opinion or overview of the situation… they don’t understand it can break open or break loose at any moment.”
Miller summed up his fear in one analogy: the community will face a u-turn in positive cases if the EPG didn’t do something soon.
However, some of the data brought forth during the meeting contradicted the timing of the curfew. Chronister said the majority of the cases they are dealing with are in the afternoons and early evenings. The curfew goes into place each night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Plant City Mayor Rick Lott was the first to voice his opposition to the curfew. He said every time the group made a decision, there were unintended consequences. In his mind, this curfew would place one order on top of another order and would cause more confusion than good.
He cited the numbers the county sees of those diagnosed and said, as a whole, we were seeing them start to slow and peak. To him, that indicated the majority of the public was listening and obeying the guidelines.
“I think our citizens would be outraged that for their good conduct, they are being charged with a curfew due to the actions of a small group,” Lott said.
Two others agreed and the vote ended up splitting five to three. Chronister added a curfew would essentially be about restricting movement and messaging will still be the key to pulling this off successfully.
The penalties for violating the curfew are exactly the same as the ones that were in place for the Safer at Home order. It’s considered a second degree misdemeanor and will have a fine up to $500 or up to 60 days in jail.
The curfew will remain in place until the EPG feels the county has a handle on its cases and can safely drop it.