Palm Beach County Operations Coronavirus Update – Tuesday, August 11, 2020

LATEST OPERATIONAL UPDATES FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY

PBC ORDERS, ACTIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

*NEW* EXECUTIVE ORDER 18: PROVIDING CLARIFICATION ON CERTAIN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
The order provides revised restrictions for massage and acupuncture businesses and establishments. Businesses providing massage and massage therapy and/or acupuncture by persons licensed under applicable Florida Statutes are allowed to operate in Palm Beach County under the Phase 1 restrictions.   

Unlicensed facilities and practitioners must remain closed. This order issued today repeals and replaces Order 2020-015. Massage and acupuncture are the only businesses affected by the modified order. Consumers should be aware that if they are obtaining services, they should be performed by a licensed individual.

The order applies in all incorporated and unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County and will be effective 12:01 a.m. on August 12, 2020.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 17: enforcement mechanisms
The order provides for application of the enforcement mechanisms recently codified and adopted in the Emergency Management Ordinance, to the COVID-19 emergency. These mechanisms include civil citations, code enforcement, criminal remedies (2nd degree misdemeanor), and business closure.  Also, through adoption in this order, the county is reinforcing our ability to enforce State Executive Orders of Governor DeSantis. 

Click here to view Palm Beach County Emergency Orders

Palm Beach County has extended the COVID-19 State of Emergency until August 14.

*NEW* PALM BEACH COUNTY TESTING
Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s Testing for Tuesday, 8-11-20:
Today the Health Care District reached a milestone by completing over 70,000 COVID-19 tests for the community since March 31, 2020.

The Health Care District’s C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics [brumbackclinics.org] have reopened to provide safe, in-person medical, dental and behavioral health services and limited pharmacy services at eight clinic sites throughout Palm Beach County. Patients can call 561-642-1000 to schedule an appointment for either a telemedicine or inpatient visit.

Florida Atlantic Testing Site in Boca Raton
This site tested 204 residents today. The testing site is located at the FAU Tech Runway on the north end of the FAU campus at 901 NW 35th Street, Boca Raton, 33431. Appointments are required for testing. To make an appointment, call American Medical Response at 1-800-209-7919 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Testing is available to anyone over the age of 12, with or without COVID-19 symptoms.

South County Civic Center Site in West Delray Beach
This site tested 195 residents today. The drive through testing site is located at the South County Civic Center located at 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446. Appointments are required for testing. To make an appointment, call American Medical Response at 1-800-209-7919 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Testing is available to anyone over the age of 12, with or without COVID-19 symptoms.

*NEW* Wellington Community Center Testing
The Village of Wellington has partnered with Premier Family Health to provide FREE walk-up COVID-19 testing for all western communities’ residents age 12 and over. Health officials from Premier Family Health will conduct tests at the Wellington Community Center located at 12150 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, 33414. Testing will be available daily by appointment, and is available for both symptomatic and asymptomatic residents. To make an appointment, call  561-753-2484.

Homebound Resident Testing
Residents eligible include homebound elderly or individuals with disabilities who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and cannot leave their homes to access one of the drive-up or walk-up test collection sites. Residents who believe they are eligible for the in-home testing option should call 561-712-6400 for a pre-qualifying assessment. The testing line is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

RESOURCES

*NEW* UP-TO-DATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH COVID-19 DASHBOARD
As of 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, the positivity rate in Palm Beach County is 13.23%. To find the latest information about your specific zip code and other COVID-19 data, check out the Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard . Also find more health/COVID-19 information in multiple languages here.

*NEW* CARES Restart Business Grant Program OFFERED From Palm beach county
The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved the CARES Restart Business Grants Program to accelerate the reopening of businesses hardest hit by COVID-19. The $60 million Business Restart Program uses a portion of the county’s $261 million allocation from the Federal CARES Act approved by Congress. The BCC has dedicated $50 million toward businesses with 25 or fewer employees and $10 million towards businesses with greater than 25 employees. The application period is now over but could reopen if grant dollars remain after the current applications are processed.

Below is the summary as of 4:00 PM Tuesday for the CARES DHES application process:

*NEW* PBC Youth Services Provides Free Mental Health Services to Glades Area Residents
Mental health services provided by Palm Beach County Youth Services Department’s Youth and Family Counseling (YFC) program are available at no charge for Palm Beach County residents in the Glades area with youth ages 0-22.

YFC’s community-focused services include assessments, family and individual therapy, parent education, school-based behavioral health services, and the “Real Talk” teen support group.

YFC licensed clinical social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and masters-level therapists can help families by addressing the following areas:

• bullying
• self-esteem
• family violence
• isolation
• school and behavioral concerns
• emotion regulation
• grief
• loneliness
• parent-child relationships
• adjustment/anxiety to virtual school
• communication and social skills

Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Telemental health services are offered in English, Spanish, French and Creole via Zoom Video. To schedule an appointment, please email YSD-YFC-WestAppt or call the YFC West County Office (Belle Glade) at (561) 922-1233.

For a full list of telemental health services provide by Palm Beach County Youth Services Department’s Residential Treatment and Family Counseling (RTFC) Division, please visit our website.

CSD ANNOUNCES NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM
Collaborative with Community-based Agencies
The Palm Beach County Community Services Department (CSD) announces launch of the Community Health Worker (CHW) Program, which is aimed at helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. CSD partnered with Caridad Center, Community Partners, FoundCare, Inc., Genesis Community Health, and Health Council of Southeast Florida to hire local residents who reflect similar racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the communities served.

Some of the strategies implemented in this program include, but are not limited to:

• building trust with residents and encouraging them to get tested for COVID-19;
• being present at testing sites to encourage individuals who are tested to cooperate with the Department of Health’s contact tracers;
• collecting information from individuals tested to assist contact tracers;
• providing education and awareness to residents on ways to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19;
• training residents on how to isolate and wear personal protective equipment properly;
• connecting residents to community resources that are available to assist with isolation and connecting them to emergency supports; and
• checking in with residents to ensure their needs are being met during isolation.

For more information about the program, contact Sonja Holbrook at (561) 355-4700 or SHolbroo@pbcgov.org.

Community Services One-Time Assistance for Rent and Utilities
The CARES Act Rent and Utilities Assistance Program provides one-time rental and/or utility assistance to eligible Palm Beach County residents who have experienced loss of income, reduction in hours, or unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are for applicants who reside in apartments, houses, townhouses, or mobile homes.

Applications must be submitted through the CSD’s online portal. To apply, visit www.pbcgov.com/OSCARSS. To learn more, visit www.pbcgov.com/communityservices.

PALM BEACH COUNTY CARES FOR HOUSING (Mortgage Assistance Program)
ELIGIBLE MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE:Funding will provide assistance to income eligible households who are at least one-month delinquent in their first mortgage and escrow payments (PITI), late fees, attorney's fees, condominium and homeowners' association payments, special assessments, and other mortgage associated costs related to COVID-19.

Locations for CARES Act Rent and Utilities Document Drop-off and Application Assistance
The PBC Community Services Department (CSD) has added new locations to help applicants who have submitted CARES Act applications and need assistance with uploading pending documentation, verifying eligibility and/or processing the application only.

Applicants may make an appointment to submit documents at CSD’s drive-thru intake, located at 810 Datura Street, West Palm Beach, and 1440 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Riviera Beach, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.  Please call (561) 355-4792 to make/confirm appointments and find out the drive-thru hours. 

Palm Beach County Feeding Sites Interactive Map

PALM TRAN
Palm Tran passengers will now begin boarding through the front door starting August 12, 2020. Palm Tran passengers will board through the front and exit through the back doors. Palm Tran will begin collecting fares on all services starting August 16, 2020. Stay Safe!

Follow us:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/pbcgov
Facebook - http://facebook.com/pbcgov
NextDoor - https://nextdoor.com

Individuals with questions related to the coronavirus should call the Florida Department of Health’s Coronavirus Call Center at 1-866-779-6121 which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week or email mailto:COVID-19@flhealth.gov. They can also visit http://pbchd.org for the latest health information. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coronavirus COVID-19.

For the latest information and updates from Palm Beach County, visit http://pbcgov.com/coronavirus.