'Seek anything else': Officials warn Floridians to avoid emergency shelters this hurricane season

SANFORD, Fla. - As hurricane season begins in Central Florida, an emergency official is advising people to not go to a shelter because he's concerned about a COVID-19 outbreak in a packed shelter.

Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris is advising his residents to avoid an emergency shelter this hurricane season at all costs.

"We’re really encouraging people to not go to an emergency shelter. Seek anything else but an emergency shelter," Harris said. "Emergency shelters should be your absolute last option. We cannot require masks; we cannot require vaccines."

Harris says because of Governor Ron DeSantis' ban on vaccine passports and an executive order suspending all local COVID-19 restrictions, the county cannot require masks or ask about vaccines in its emergency shelters.

"We can’t even ask about vaccines," Harris said. "We cannot separate individuals, so we don’t want that to become an outbreak location. So, we’re really encouraging people to go somewhere else."

Harris suggests staying with family and friends instead, but he says it's going to impact communities that typically rely on the emergency shelters.

In the Palm Valley community in Oviedo, there are about 800 mobile homes. During Hurricane Irma, the property says 70% of its resident evacuated and some needed to use shelters. But now, some residents are questioning it.

"They should be able to wear masks and they should be required," said Palm Valley resident Jeanne Collver.

Collver says she would most likely get a hotel or stay with family but says even though she's fully vaccinated, she doesn't feel comfortable in close quarters with strangers for hours or days without a mask.

"You don’t know if they’re vaccinated, not vaccinated, if they have it or don’t," Collver said. "It would be a worrisome thing."

Harris has that same concern.

"If someone is in there and sick, they can contaminate all the people around them, which can contaminate other people and, unfortunately, there’s not a lot of room because we’re talking about one of two buildings inside of a school," Harris said.