[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

BY MARIE PULEO | LIGHTHOUSE POINT NEWS REPORTER

LIGHTHOUSE POINT CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a Declaration of Emergency was issued today for the City of Lighthouse Point by Mayor Glenn Troast.

As per the declaration, City Hall, the library and the Building Department are closed to the public until further notice.

Consistent with an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis today for Broward and Palm Beach Counties, effective Friday, March, 20, at 10pm, all restaurants, cafeterias and other food service establishments in Lighthouse Point are mandated to cease all on-premises service. However, these establishments will be able to continue to operate their kitchens for delivery or take-out services. The order will be in effect until March 31, 2020, but may be renewed.

City Hall will still provide phone assistance Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm, at 954-943-6500. 

All City recreational and library programs, including senior activities, are cancelled until future notice. For now, library materials may still be reserved online 24/7 or by phone, Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm. Details on reserving materials and library online resources, including eBooks, can be found on the library’s website.

DeGroff Park and Exchange Club Park are closed until further notice, and hours of operation at Frank McDonough Park and Dan Witt Park are subject to change.

The Building Department will still allow approved permits to be picked up, but arrangements must be made one hour in advance by calling 954-943-6509 for instructions. New permit applications are being accepted. They can be submitted Monday to Friday via the drop box located at the front door of the Building Department, or see the list of acceptable permit applications being accepted electronically. There will be no fee to drop off new permit applications.

The March 24 special meeting of the City Commission, and the March 24 regular meeting of the City Commission are cancelled. The acceptance of the results of the March 17 election and the organizational meeting of the City Commission will be rescheduled to a future City Commission meeting.

All April meetings of City boards and advisory committees, and the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate, are canceled.

The Lighthouse Point Tennis Center Pro Shop and pavilion are closed until further notice, and use of the tennis courts is limited to members of the Tennis Center and Lighthouse Point residents only.

The issuance of all special event permits, including garage sale permits, is suspended until further notice.

The City will not be accepting requests to rent or use City facilities for any reason other than confirmed governmental or emergency purposes until further notice.

The Declaration of Emergency for Lighthouse Point will be in effect for as long as the State of Emergency for Florida is in effect, unless modified or terminated earlier.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the Lighthouse Point Fire Department has changed its procedures, and is prepared to respond to any COVID-19 calls.

Firefighter-paramedics are taking stricter personal protective precautions, and are trying to limit exposure to crew members by having one person make patient contact. They have also increased their decontamination procedures of vehicles, equipment, and personnel if they have been exposed to a patient that meets the COVID-19 criteria.

There is increased communication with county dispatch to identify the homes of residents who are possibly infected with COVID-19, so first responders can take the necessary precautions for future calls at those addresses.

In order to prevent cross-contamination in the rescue vehicles, the driver’s cab has been sealed off from the patient’s compartment.

The Fire Department is continuing to train and update its personnel with the latest information and protocols involving COVID–19.

The city’s contracted waste hauler, Waste Management, has temporarily closed its residential call centers (while maintaining electronic customer communications), but at this time, there is no impact to scheduled residential collection service.

Another effort to combat COVID-19 began on Thursday, when Broward Health opened a drive-through COVID-19 testing site in Pompano Beach, behind the Festival Flea Market on Sample Road. Testing will be by appointment only.

Individuals must be prescreened and meet testing criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) and the Department of Health. To schedule a time, patients must first get a written prescription from a physician, and then call the Broward Health line at 954-320-5730 from 7am to 7pm to register. Those who qualify will be required to present a photo ID, the written prescription and the registration confirmation number.

For more information regarding COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) website.

For more Lighthouse Point  news and things to do in the Lighthouse Point area read Lighthouse Point magazine and search our website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9982″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Previous

Stay-At-Home Art, Photography & Essay Contest

Next

BROWARD COUNTY: BUSINESSES CLOSE; NEW CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE OPENS

About Author

LOCAL NEWS

This post was prepared by staff at Point! Publishing. For inquiries call 954-603-4553.

Subscribe to Coastal news

Get our free email newsletter directly in your inbox! Our semi-monthly newsletter showcases the most important local news and events in your backyard and comes with complimentary digital editions of our magazines!