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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrder No. 20-014 - Reduction of Animal Safety Division Services (04-14-20)ORDER NO. 20-014 AN ORDER OF THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PROVIDING FOR REDUCTION OF ANIMAL SAFETY DIVISION SERVICES IN RESPONSE m A v to TO A COUNTY WIDE THREAT FROM THE COVID-19 VIRUS o o # -4m o0 ZX�0. WHEREAS, the St. Lucie County Administrator has made the following determinations: C.o 3 A 0-4 D CD A Z S 1. Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") is a severe acute respiratory MN m illness that can spread among humans and presents with symptoms similar to those of influenza; N o 71 and W ° N -4 Cn = °LJ m 2. In late 2019, a new and significant outbreak of COVID-19 emerged in China; and °� A n 3. The World Health Organization previously declared COVID-19 a Public Health o Emergency of International Concern; and ° M 4. In response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") has deemed it necessary to prohibit or restrict non -essential travel to or from those countries; and 5. On March 1, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order Number 20-51 directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency; and 6. On March 1, 2020, the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer declared Public Health Emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and 7. On March 7, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida directed the Director of the Division of Emergency Management to activate the State of Emergency Operations Center to Level 2 to provide coordination and response to the COVID-19 emergency; and 8. On March 9, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order Number 20-52 declaring that a state of emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 virus and imminent threat to the health and welfare of the citizens of Florida; and 9. The CDC currently recommends community preparedness and that everyday prevention measures should be taken by all individuals and families in the United States, including voluntary home isolation when individuals are sick with respiratory symptoms, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue and disposal of the tissue immediately thereafter, washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, using alcohol -based hand sanitizers with 60%-95% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available and routinely cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects to increase community resilience and readiness for responding to an outbreak; and 10. The CDC currently recommends mitigation measures for communities experiencing an outbreak including staying at home when sick, keeping away from others who are sick, limiting face-to-face contact with others as much as possible, consulting with your healthcare provider if individuals or members of a household are at high risk for COVID-19 complications, wearing a facemask if advised to do so by a healthcare provider or by a public health official, staying home when a household member is sick with respiratory disease symptoms if instructed to do so by public health officials or a health care provider; and 11. On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States issued a proclamation of a declaration of national emergency; and 12. On March 13, 2020, the Coordinating Officer for the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management issued Emergency Order No. 20-004, authorizing the Department of Education to delay school assessments and to adjust school calendars including rescheduling, extending or cancelling spring breaks; and 13. On March 16, 2020, President Donald J. Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ('CDC") issued the "15 Days to Slow the Spread" guidance advising individuals to adopt far-reaching social distancing measures, such as avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, and in states with evidence of community spread, recommending restrictions to certain establishments conducive to mass gatherings and congregations; and 14. On March 29, 2020, the President extended such guidance to be in effect until April 30, 2020; and 15. On March 17, 2020, the St. Lucie County Public Safety Director declared a State of Local Emergency COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ("St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency"); and 16. On March 24, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order No. 20-83 directing the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer to issue a public health advisory to all persons over 65 years of age and persons that have serious underlying medical conditions that place them at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 urging them to stay home and to take such other measures as necessary to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19; and 17. Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-83, the Governor of the State of Florida further directed the State Surgeon General and the State Health Officer to issue a public health advisory providing that individuals should cease all social or recreational gatherings of 10 or more people; and 18. On March 25, 2020, the State Surgeon General issued a Public Health Advisory consistent with Executive Order 20-83; and 19. On March 25, 2020, the President of the United States declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and 20. The State of Florida and St. Lucie County are continuing to experience reports of illnesses and persons testing positive for the virus; and 21. There has been no indication that the spread of COVID-19 is slowing in the State of Florida and St. Lucie County; and 22. St. Lucie County must continue to take emergency action to lessen the spread of COVID-19; and 23. There is reason to believe that COVID-19 is spread amongst the population by various means of exposure, including the propensity to spread person to person and the 2 propensity to attach to surfaces for prolonged periods of time thereby creating a dangerous physical condition spreading from surface to person and causing increased infections to persons, and also creating property or business income loss and damage in certain circumstances; and 24. The National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA) has issued a Statement on Animal Control Functions during the COVID-19 pandemic recommending reduced services for the safety of both the public and animal safety officers; and 25. This Order is being issued because of the propensity of COVID-19 to spread from person to person causing widespread infection and loss of life, and also because COVID-19 is causing property damage and business income loss due to its proclivity to attach to surfaces for prolonged periods of time and thereby creating a dangerous physical condition; and 26. it is necessary to impose the regulations and restrictions set forth herein in response to the dangerous physical conditions that currently exists and to stop the COVID-19 virus from spreading; and 27. As St. Lucie County Administrator, I have determined that a Reduced Animal Services Order for the Animal Safety Division is a reasonable and prudent action to take in order to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of St. Lucie County; and 28. A Reduced Services Order is an Order that: • Is less restrictive than total closure of a County service; • Reduces the number of County employees responses to calls for service in order to further reduce the possibility of community spread of COVID-19; • Provides for the County to continue to provide critical mission services to County residents and businesses; and • Reduces the number of animals housed in the County temporary animal in order to maintain an acceptable level of care for animals in shelter in the event partner rescue agencies are unable to accept transfers of animals from the shelter. 29. Paragraph 2 of the St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency provides that the County Administrator may take all actions necessary and appropriate to protect human life and prosperity, to the extent necessary to accommodate the emergency; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED AS FOLLOWS: The determinations, orders, and declarations identified above are incorporated herein. 2. A Reduced -Animal Safety Services Order is hereby established effective as of o m) (pm) on A, :1 ► 2020. A Reduced Animal Sae Services Operations Order means County Animal Safety Division services shall be reduced as set forth in Exhibit "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein. This reduction in services shall continue on a daily basis until this Order expires or is rescinded. Severability. Any provision(s) within this Order that conflict(s) with any State or Federal law or constitutional provision, or conflict(s) with or are superseded by a current or subsequently -issued Executive Order of the Governor or the President of the United States, shall be deemed inapplicable and deemed to be severed from this Order, with the remainder of the Order remaining intact and in full force and effect. To the extent application of some or all of the provisions of this Order is prohibited on the sovereign land of a federally or state recognized sovereign Indian tribe, such application is expressly excluded from this Order. Effective Date; Duration. This Order is effective twenty-four hours after adoption as of on /(' day of /\O"\ , 2020. This Order will expire upon the expiration of the existing State of Local Emergency, as same may be extended by subsequent order or declaration, unless earlier terminated by subsequent Order. Prior resolutions and emergency orders remain in force and effect unless modified or superseded. This Order shall be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Signed this I (f'", day of N P L.1 2020 at 1 :30 am (pm). /)I S/Atty/State of Emergency/Order-Reduced Animal Safety Services In EXHIBIT "A" REDUCED ANIMAL SAFETY SERVICES DURING COVID-19 In order to better provide for the safety of Animal Safety Officers and the public they serve during the COVID-10 pandemic, the Animal Safety Division's services will be limited to those essential services as described below which are necessary for the functioning of the animal services agency. These essential services are intended to protect human health and safety while maintain lifesaving functions. In addition, these reduced services will ensure animal shelters do not become overcrowded which will lead to additional risks for people who have to continue to care for those animals housed in the institutional setting of the shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic. High priority/emergency calls: Officers shall continue to respond to emergency and high priority calls as follows: • Cruelty and neglect • Public safety calls including bite complaints, dangerous animals and rabies concerns • Law enforcement assistance • Animals in immediate danger for any reason • Impounding pets of sick or deceased people • Hoarding case response where pets are in immediate danger Non -emergency calls and activities: Officers shall suspend low priority/nonemergency activities as follows: • Pick up and/or intake of non -aggressive, healthy, friendly stray animals who are not in immediate danger • Accepting/picking up owner surrendered or owner requested euthanasia pets • Leash law and licensing complaints • Barking and nuisance complaints • Trapping and transport of community cats • Conflict mitigation scenarios Shelter intake reduction: The Animal Safety Division shall take active measures to reduce non -essential shelter intake. Measures taken shall include returning pets in the field instead of impounding them, suspending non -emergency owner surrender intake, and encouraging owners who are ill to keep their pets at home. Only animals who pose a clear and immediate danger to the public or who are in distress themselves will be impounded and taken to the shelter. Personal protective equipment: Animal control officers shall be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) for cases requiring a response to a location with someone who is sick or has been exposed to COVID-19. Animal Safety Officers should make every effort to not enter the home of anyone who is known to have been exposed to the virus. Bite Quarantine Requirements During The COVID-19 Pandemic: In an effort to reduce person -to -person transmission of COVID-19 through animal services work and reduce the number of animals held for extended periods of time at shelters, the Animal Safety Division may permit animals to be quarantined at home rather than the shelter. Health checks and fence inspections for animal quarantined at home may be done from a distance to adhere to social distancing guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control. COUNTY IF L o R I D A ST. LUCIE COUNTY TEMPORARY SIGNATURE AUTHORIZATION FORM Date: 3/17/20 Requesting Department: Administration This is to verify that Howard Tipton (Department Head) will not be available for signing time sheets, leave requests forms, requisitions, invoices for payment, and travel requests for the following days: signature of SIGNATURES: 3/17/2020 thru 4/17/2020 and that the Mark Satterlee, Jeff Bremer (Department Head Assistant) DEPARTMENT HEAD: DEPARTMENT HEAD ASSISTANT: honored during that time only. Please forward completed form(s) to Purchasing prior to dates listed above. All completed temporary authorization forms will be posted on the Purchasing intranet site in the Temporary Signature Authorization folder.