During a news conference Thursday morning, Clay County officials said that they will be following Governor DeSantis' reopening order as well as opening several testing sites within the county.
The county will also be starting a food boxing initiative to help those experiencing hunger or food insecurity.
The reopening order, which begins Monday, will allow select establishments to reopen in the county as long as strict guidelines are followed and resumes elective surgeries.
Restaurants may offer outdoor seating with six-foot space between tables and indoor seating will be at 25% capacity. In addition, retail stores can operate at 25% of indoor capacity
Bars, gyms and personal services such as hairdressers will remain closed
TESTING SITES
Clay County will also open five COVID-19 testing sites starting next week.
Previously, a major strain on PPE and testing swabs prevented the county from opening their own but officials say they are confident they will have enough supplies to test residents by appointment.
In order to get tested, you must be a Clay County resident, be symptomatic and have an appointment.
To get an appointment, find a testing center near you and get available testing times call 877-252-9362.
FOOD BOXES
The county says due to the loss of jobs and economic impact from COVID-19, the need to provide food to residents is growing. Starting Monday they will begin a food boxing mission where they will provide 7-day food kits to residents in need.
To sign-up to receive the boxes, visit alert.claycounty.com and sign up. You will receive a barcode that helps justify numbers to the state.
As the need grows, they will grow also and the county is prepared to continue the program through the end of June.
As of Wednesday night, there have been 272 reported cases of COVID-19 in Clay County and 15 deaths.