You Chose This

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Disney said on August 2, 2021 that its parks, experiences and products division returned to profitability for the first time since the pandemic began.

The highly contagious Delta variant has caused a resurgence in the COVID-19 virus in recent weeks, particularly in Central Florida where Disney World is located. On July 28, 2021, Orange County mayor Jerry Demings proclaimed a sate of emergency.

Disney World  eased restrictions in April 2021, which led to a boost in attendance. While guest capacity hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, it improved as mask mandates were loosened during the quarter.

Disney World plans to continue to re-open and increase capacity despite the threat of the Delta variant. Large convention groups are canceling, however people still flock to the parks.

The company reintroduced mask requirements for all indoor spaces, including attractions and merchandise locations, and on all forms of Disney transportation. Guests can still remain mask-free in outdoor areas, or, if indoors, while actively eating or drinking at a restaurant or other designated dining locations. Social distancing markers have not being returned and fireworks displays continue which attract dense crowds.

Revenue at Disney’s parks, experiences and products segment jumped 307.6% to $4.3 billion, up from $1.06 billion during the same period last year. The great thing for the company is that if guests contract the virus in their theme park, the symptoms do not show for 14 days which means the guest likely brought the virus home to share with friends and family. The Delta variant however has a shorter incubation period, 3 to 4 days, instead of 5 to 6 days and it has higher viral loads. Meaning that people are more infections faster and can spread the virus among other guests at the parks. It is impossible to prove the virus was picked up in the park. It just as well could have been contracted on a plane or restaurant. Deniability equals profitability.

Disney’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek said, “In terms of the Delta variant, we see strong demand for our parks continuing.“ Disney World will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, so it is importent to the company to keep increasing the capacity in the park. Should some guests die that is a small price to pay for growing profits.

Mask Inside

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The CDC has done an about face and recommends that everyone, both unvaccinated and vaccinated should mask up when inside if you live in areas with “substantial or high transmission” of COVID-19. They are recommending this because of  new data on the highly contagious Delta variant.

Florida is now the epicenter of the pandemic in America, so the entire state is high risk. They also said that masks should be required of everyone inside K-12 schools.

The primary reason for this about face is that less than half of the country is vaccinated and many of those people are refusing to get the jab. Another finding is that vaccinated people are becoming infected although their cases are mild, resembling a common cold. However infected vaccinated individuals can carry as high a viral load as an unvaccinated individual and therefor they can spread the virus to others.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings declared a State of Local Emergency for Orange County. He recommends that people should mask up inside. All Orange County employees will have to be vaccinated by August 31, 2021. Orange County broke the record for the all time high of new cases 1,371 on July 27, 2021. The mayor asked that all businesses mandate vaccinations. To date there have been 1,390 deaths in Orange County. Certain health care providers in Orange County have reported that up to 30% of their positive COVID-19 test results have come from vaccinated people. Approximately 95% of patients in the intensive care units of certain health care providers in Orange County are unvaccinated people. CDC has determined that levels of community transmission in Orange County, Florida are “high” which is the highest classification.

Don’t DeathSantis My Floriduh

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Floriduh Governor Ron DeathSantis has driven the state into the deep end of the pandemic pool.He is more interested in reelection stunts than working to protect his constituents from the virus.

The state is now the epicenter of the pandemic. With less than half of Floridians vaccinated the Delta variant is finding and attacking the unvaccinated. One in five cases in America are now from Florida. The state is seeing an average of 49.3 new daily Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people, according to data from the Brown School of Public Health. That’s nearly double the threshold for “red” designation on the risk-assessment map.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Deming declared a state of emergency, but his hands are tied because DeathSantis will not allow for mask mandates. Demings “strongly recommended’ that people wear masks indoors. Yet he can not enforce the recommendation. The CDC has said that everyone in high risk areas must wear a mask indoors, vaccinated or unvaccinated due to the heightened risk presented by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

DeathSantis’s goal is to dis-inform, deny, and deflect. He has blocked the Florida Health department from posting daily COVID case numbers. It shouldn’t take unending media requests and lawsuits to jar loose information the public needs to understand this horrible pandemic. It shouldn’t take unending media requests and lawsuits to jar loose information the public needs to understand this horrible pandemic. The media have to send constant requests for the numbers and fight the Governor in lawsuits to get the information. Tax payers foot the bill for his need to hide the numbers. Do not trust this man with your life. stay informed and follow the advise of health experts.

Despite this surge in cases Florida theme parks are filling to capacity with no mask requirements. There is money to be made as the guests infect one another and spread the virus across the country. DeathSantis has also been fighting the cruise ship industry insisting that the infected should be allowed to board ships to infect whoever they like. Norwegian Cruise Line filed a lawsuit against Florida, saying that said the state’s ban hurts its ability to prevent the spread of the virus onboard ships.

Advent heath hospital in Orange County is at capacity. Sick patents are lining the halls of the ER. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC said, “If you are not vaccinated, you remain at risk.” “The good news is that if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected against severe Covid, hospitalization and death, and are even protected against the known variants, including the Delta variant.” However a study done in Israel points out that the Pfizer vaccine has been loosing its efficacy. At first it was said that the Pfizer vaccine offered 94% protection against infection. However the Israel study found it is now just 35% effective against infection. The upside is that the vaccine is still very effective, protecting against serious illness and hospitalizations. Pfizer is working on a booster shot but the CDC is slow to course correct. The CDC is now considered that everyone wear masks when indoors.

The DeathSantis campaign merchandise thumbs it’s nose at science and the pandemic, taking aim at Dr. Fauci. You can order a t-Shirt that says, “Don’t Fauci My Florida.” I think a t-Shirt that says, “Don’t DeathSantis My Floriduh.” would be more accurate. DeathSantis also has beer koozies that say, “How am I going to drink my beer with a mask on?” It does take an idiot to not know how to drink a beer and them lift a mask back in place. A better Koozie might say “How am I going to drink this beer, since I am on a ventilator.”

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings

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From a September 23, 2020 Orange County Regional History Center Oral History with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, “You have to be a bit of a realist in these processes where, no matter what you think, you won’t be able to make all the changes that need to be made in days, months. It will be decades of being in the fight. So I have been doing this now for four decades.”

“I know what I know about this. I’ve been in this fight for decades. I haven’t been sitting as a spectator in the arena. I’ve been in the arena.”

“So that is what I say to young people, ‘you want to really bring about change, you need to become the prosecutors, the defense attorneys, the judges, the police officers,  the school teachers, the doctors, the professors in college, the researchers, the entrepreneurs. You need to become all of those if you really want to bring about change.’ ”

“Otherwise they are going to be frustrated if they think that, it is going too happen like that, They are going to be so frustrated. I think that is what we see. Sometimes when you see the violence, the destruction, it is frustration manifesting itself. Because they really don’t understand what the fight is at this point.”

CDC Lifts Masking for the Vaccinated

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Back in January of 2021 before the historic roll out of vaccines in the United States, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings discussed safety measures he was taking to keep constituents safe. He initiated ‘COVID Strike Teams’ which would inspect businesses to see if they were maintaining coronavirus safety measures.

As Orange County approached 52,000 coronavirus cases, 11 bars in one day were found to not have no face masks, no social distancing, no hand sanitizers and no disinfecting. The strike teams had saw 86% compliance in visits to 4,910 businesses. Businesses were instructed on ways they can operate their business more safely and if they remained repeat offenders they were fined.

People who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances, the director of the CDC announced May 13, 2021. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House Covid-19 briefing. “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”

On May 12, 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order, which essentially dissolved Orange County’s Strike Teams of authority. “I find it somewhat hypocritical that the governor provided clemency for fines or violations of local laws but let stand fines imposed by the state of Florida. Frankly, that simply is not right,” Demings said. He has decided to lift mask requirements outdoors but said the county needs to reach a 70 percent vaccination rate before masks can be removed indoors too. The 70 percent vaccination rate is an ambitious goal for the area as inoculations have slowed.

Since late last year, Orange County’s Strike Teams have fined 28 businesses for not following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Under the governor’s new order, none of those businesses will have to pay those fines. “There is nothing unprecedented about local governments trying to provide for and protect its residents during a pandemic,” Demings said. Demings says the Strike Teams have helped boost compliance in businesses to 99% countywide. “We’re going to still send our Strike Teams out and we will still maintain a list of those who are non-compliant,” Demings said.

On May 13, 2021 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order granting pardons to Florida residents and businesses charged with violating local COVID-19 safety protocols. The executive order covers criminal penalties for things like refusing to practice social distancing or adhering to mask mandates. Jerry Demings wife, Val Demings is considering running for the Florida Governors position to unseat the incumbent, Ron DeSantis.

Unmasking the Court

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On April 28, 2021 the CDC most recently updated its guidance on outdoor use, saying those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear face coverings unless they are in a big crowd. Along with people who have been vaccinated, the CDC is also saying those who are unvaccinated can go without masks outdoors in some circumstances. On May 10, 2021 Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN that the CDC may soon be relaxing their guidelines on indoor mask use but that hasn’t happened yet.

On May 7, 2021 the CDC published updated guidance that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an airborne threat, explicitly stating that transmission and subsequent infection with the novel coronavirus can occur via inhalation of very fine respiratory droplets as well as aerosolized particles from further than six feet away.

Florida Governor Ron DeathSantis suspended all local COVID-19 emergency orders on May 3, 2021 and signed a proposal lawmakers approved that limits the local government’s ability to impose mask requirements and other social distancing measures used to combat the coronavirus this past year.

Orange County Governor Jerry Demings had a plan in place to lift mask requirements by June. His response to DeathSantis’s order was, “In review of the governor’s executive orders, I am not surprised. He first indicated that the order would not take effect until July 1, 2021, and then quickly changed it to be ‘effective immediately.’ He then offered new language that invalidates a local government’s ability to take action during a public health emergency. Orange County Government will continue to review its statutory authority and will respond accordingly. Gov. DeSantis has been slow to act in responding to the pandemic, which has caused local elected officials to take action to fill the void and keep their residents safe. I want Orange County residents to know that I will continue to make decisions in the best interest of their health, safety and welfare and will not wait on the governor to tell me what to do. This immediate past legislative session is proof positive of how the state is preempting local home-rule powers – that is not good for democracy. When I ask myself, “What is really the purpose of the governor’s actions?” I conclude that his actions are part of a larger partisan strategy by the Republican Party to usurp the authority of Democrat-led urban counties and cities across America. We expect better from the governor of Florida.”

After DeathSantis lifted all COVID safety precautions, signage in the Orange County Courthouse to wear masks will be removed. On February 8, 2021 the Court began conducting some in person business. Some court business is being done virtually, but if you go to court, it looks like you will soon be risking our life unless you are fully vaccinated. I am betting that many of the mindless masses pressing into the court are not vaccinated.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings to Lift Mask Mandates

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Orlando Mayor Jerry Demings said he is considering loosening mask mandates. “We are working with the department of health on a plan to phase reducing requirements of wearing facial coverings and social distancing,” Demings said. “We are reviewing how CDC requirements are evolving along with COVID infection data and a plan will be announced soon.” he said.

Demings has previously stated that the mandate could end entirely once more than 70% the county is fully vaccinated. His hope is to lift the mandate by June depending if there is still COVID-19 spread. As of April 5, 2021, there are two cases of the highly contagious and potentially more dangerous South African variant of COVID-19 in Orange County.

As of April 19, 2021, 53.5% of Orange County’s residents 40+ have had at least one dose of vaccine. 29.7% of all Orange County residents have had one dose of the vaccine. Orange County now has 120 vaccination sites available. Demand has dropped for vaccinations a the Convention Center site.

AdventHealth, in partnership with Orange County Government and the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, is hosting a Town Hall to discuss vaccine hesitancy with community leaders. The Town Hall will take place on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. and you can view it live on Orange TV at ocfl.net/OTVLive.

There were 2,765 new cases of COVID-19 on April 30, 2021 and 14 deaths. There have been 1,270 deaths since March 1, 2021. According to the Florida Community Dashboard, Orange County Florida does NOT meet the criteria for the next phase of reopening.
Decrease in ER Visits for COVID-like illness: NO
Decrease in ER Visits for influenza-like illness: NO
Decrease in new cases by date: NO
Decrease in percent positivity OR positivity below 10%: NO  

One Year Ago Today

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Due to Covid-19 their are NO Top 6 Picks for this Weekend! Orlando is on lock down. STAY HOME. Say Safe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic.  The number of cases of the virus outside China had increased 13 fold. The number of affected countries has tripled. There are no more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries. The number of cases, deaths and countries affected will continue to climb. As of March 9, 2021 525,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, which is more American deaths that WWI and WWII combined.

WHO has been following the outbreak and they are alarmed by the spread and severity of the disease and they are alarmed by the inaction by governments. This is the first pandemic caused by a corona virus. The United States now has the most coronavirus cases and deaths of any country in the world.

County Mayor Jerry Demings announced that an Orange County Florida resident died while traveling abroad in California. As of this morning, Demings has declared a local emergency for Orange County. The emergency operations center has been activated and is fully staffed. He compared this outbreak to the three hurricanes that ravaged Central Florida in 2004.

Gatherings of 200 people or more have been canceled. The goal is to stop the spread of the Covid-19 Virus. An Orange County Executive Order is still in effect requiring residents to wear a face covering when in public spaces.
The Parks Department will cancel all programs for seniors. City-hosted, sponsors and permitted events with 50+ attendees are cancelled or postponed until further notice.
Orange County Spring Break camps will continue as planned, but field trips have been canceled. There are many Spring Break Camps happening in Central Florida in 2021 despite the pandemic. Yet, all youth and adult sporting activities and programs at Families, Parks and Recreation facilities are suspended effective immediately until further notice according to the Orlando City web site.
County Special events have been postponed, including Fort Christmas Bluegrass Festival and other events. The 2021 Fort Christmas Bluegrass Festival has also been canceled.

City Mayor Buddy Dyer issued a state of emergency for the city of Orlando.

All City events have been canceled through the end of the month, including the plant sale at Leu Gardens, The Sunday Farmers Market at Lake Eola. The plant sale at Leu Gardens is being held March 13 and 14, 2021 despite the pandemic. The Lake Eola Farmers Market is open each Sunday in 2021 despite the pandemic with guests required to wear masks.
All activities related to seniors have been suspended.
Youth activities will go on.

Disney announced that Walt Disney World will be closed starting Sunday March 15, 2020 through the end of the month. Employees of the Disney theme parks will be paid despite the closure. The hotels at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice. The retail and dining complexes, Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, will remain open. All Disney Cruise line departures have been suspended. Disney World re-opened July 11, 2020. Masks are required. Disney World is sold out as the 2021 spring break approaches.

The release of Disney’s live action remake of Mulan is being delayed with no determined release date due to Covid-19 concerns. Mulan was released on September 4, 2020 on Disney +. Disney has also pulled the release of New Mutants and the Guillermo del Toro produced horror movie AntlersA. AntlersA is slate to be releases on September 21, 2021.

Universal Studios also announced the Universal Orlando Resort will close on Sunday. Hourly employees will be paid for any work scheduled through the end of March, a company spokesperson said in a statement. Universal Orlando’s hotels and Universal CityWalk will remain open. Universal Studios re-opened on June 5, 2020,

Legoland also announced closure due to Covid-19. Legoland re-opened June 1, 2020.

As of today the City of Orlando has not canceled any city-hosted events and or meetings. I was at a city hosted Diversitastic dining event just last night. As we ate dinner, the Theme parks announced closures. The city says they are taking the decision to cancel or postpone city-hosted events very seriously. There are ongoing discussions that are happening every day as they continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. Diversitastic dining experiences have been happening monthly despite the pandemic. Staff wear face coverings, and patrons are asked to do so when arriving and interacting with waitstaff. Temperature are taken before entry, and hand sanitizer is provided. Guests are seated only with their own party, at a safe but friendly distance from other tables. Electronic payment in advance means money will only change hands if extra drinks are purchased.

CDC’s recommendations to reduce your risk of exposure:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Should you see a doctor?

Ask yourself:

Have you traveled outside the U.S. in the last two weeks?
Have you been in close contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19?
Do you have a fever greater than 100 degrees?

A fever alone does not indicate that you need to be tested for COVID-19. But if you’ve traveled or come in contact with a COVID-19-positive person, you need to be tested. Call your medical provider first and get instructions on how to report for a test. Symptoms of Covid-19 may include fever, cough difficulty breathing and sore throat. Symptoms generally appear in two to 14 days after exposure. Health officials said most patents experience mild symptoms and can recover at home.
However some patients, particularly those with underlying medical conditions, may experience more severe respiratory illness.

COVID PAC

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The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is the country’s largest meeting of conservative activists and politicians, and usually gives insight into the direction of the Republican Party. It was held in Orlando February 25 to February 28 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Hotel employees are required to wear protective masks and gloves during their time on-site. The Hotel also implemented social distancing guidance in public areas and other health and hygiene requirements to keep guests safe.

When organizers got on the stage, which was designed in the shape of the Odal Rune, a Nazi Symbol, and they asked the audience to wear masks they were met with angry boos.

The big star of the conference was a golden statue created by Mexican artist, Tommy Zegan. Attended worshiped the golden calf with red white and blue shorts by posing for selfies. The ex-president gave his first speech sine loosing the election. It was a droll rather boring rehash of his past grievances. He also begged for money since he made a whole lot of cash loosing to president Joe Biden.

Mask wearing at the event was spotty at best with plenty of chin straps and ear dangling decorations rather than properly fit masks.  Florida’s Grim Reaper, aka lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder, raised money to have a plane troll thee conference with a banner that read, “Welcome Insurrectionists!”

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the hotel where the Conservative Political Action Conference met did its very best to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. “Signs were posted throughout the hotel and announcements were made to make sure the attendees were aware of the masking order,” Demings said. “However, we know that some of the attendees were non-compliant.” The hotel lacked the balls to  enforce the mask mandate. This like all of the former president’s events, will be a superspreader.

Central Florida COVID Fines

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Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings created an Orange County Code Enforcement Strike Team that goes to Central Florida businesses to see if they are enforcing safety guidelines such as social distancing and face coverings.

First-time offenders could get away with a warning. Fines begin at $500. Fines of $1,000 to $5,000 per day could be issued for repeat violations and a $15,000 fine could be issued for “irreparable or irreversible” violations like a “super-spreader” event.

Since Florida’s phase three re-opening in September 2020, pictures have surfaced outside local businesses of big crowds and few coronavirus safety protocols.

Demings’ order specifically says it does not conflict with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order which suspends the collection of fines and penalties associated with COVID-19 which is “enforced upon individuals.” Demings says that because his order calls for a non-criminal code enforcement penalty on businesses.

Three Orange County businesses received citations and 19 got warnings over a nine-day period that began on New Year’s Eve as the county continued its crackdown on establishments that fail to maintain coronavirus safety standards. Over 6,000 businesses have received visits. In all, 98% have been in compliance with executive orders.

Among the businesses fined are, nightclubs like Celine and Social in downtown Orlando, The Knights Pub and Infyniti Nightclub near UCF.

Restaurants fined include, Country House Restaurant, Hank’s Crab Shack and Seafood, Hong Fu, Napoli Pizza & Sub, Tin Roof, Truffoire, a kiosk at The Florida Mall.

Other assorted businesses include, 7-Eleven at 3000 W. Colonial Drive, Knight Library, Universal Hyundai, and USA Smoke Shop.