Orange County reaches benchmark set by mayor to lift COVID-19 mandates
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Last month, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings rolled out a 3-phase plan to do away with COVID-19 restrictions.
According to a statement from Demings on Friday, the county has reached the benchmark that would allow all COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted.
"There is much to look forward to on this Memorial Day weekend. Coronavirus infections and deaths continue to decline. Fully vaccinated family members can enjoy their time with one another--both indoors and outdoors--without a mask."
RELATED: Orange County rolls out 3-phase plan to do away with face masks
Demings says that right now, 53.96% of Orange County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. According to his plan, Phase 2 would begin when 50% of the county's population 16 and older have received their 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The county's 14-day rolling positivity rate is 4.7%, which meets the requirement for Phase 3 to eliminate all mask mandates.
Mayor Demings did not officially remove the mandate in his press release on Friday, so residents should keep in mind that the mandates are still in place throughout the holiday weekend.
"I ask any resident who has not been vaccinated to please do so. Please help us contain this deadly disease, and continue our return to normalcy. We do not want to see a spike in COVID-19 infections like we did after Memorial Day 2020."
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