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Lee County government COVID-19 webpage
LeeVCB.com COVID-19 Update

Welcome to Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau’s new weekly newsletter. As Lee County and Florida adopt Gov. Ron DeSantis' Executive Order for Phase 1 reopening, there is a lot of new information to manage. The VCB wants to make sure you have the latest news, resources and best practices to help you navigate the days and weeks ahead.

Read Executive Order 20-112

 

Executive Order 20-112 FAQs
Lee County divider
Drive-thru testing opens in Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres
CenturyLink Sports Complex
Fort Myers
 
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Sunday (gate closes at 3 p.m.)
 
WHERE: CenturyLink Sports Complex, 14100 Six-Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers 
 
WHO: Age 18 and older, free testing, regardless of symptoms, no appointment necessary, Lee and Collier county residents, individuals will not be permitted to exit their vehicle and must bring a valid photo ID
 
Walmart Supercenter
Lehigh Acres
 
WHEN: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday-Friday
 
WHERE: Walmart Supercenter parking lot, 2523 Lee Blvd., Lehigh Acres
 
WHO: Public, first responders and health care workers must make appointments at myquestcovidtest.com, call 1-866-448-7719 with questions, individuals will not be permitted to exit their vehicle
 
 
 
Outdoor restaurant seating policy
 
Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais signed an emergency order on May 1 providing a temporary policy for additional outdoor seating at restaurants so business owners can expand outdoor seating while maintaining Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing, as outlined by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
 
The Lee County Order allows restaurants to place seating in outdoor areas, such as the parking lot, following certain guidelines. This order will remain in place for five days after the date on which the governor allows restaurants to operate at 100% capacity. Read the complete order here.
  
Virtual marriage licenses
 
For couples who want to tie the knot before July 1, 2020, the Lee County Clerk of Court is now offering a virtual process to obtain a marriage license. Complete instructions are outlined here or call 239-533-5007 with questions.

Other helpful links 


The VCB has a virtual vacations section on our website that includes beach camswildlife camsvirtual experiences and Zoom backgrounds

Beach cams
Wildlife cams
Zoom backgrounds
Florida
National
White House's Opening Up America Again
U.S. Travel's CARES Act Relief Resources
National Restaurants Association's CARES Act Guidance
U.S. Travel's Travel in the New Normal
Small Business Administration Relief Options
AHLA's CARES Act FAQs
National Travel and Tourism Week - #SpiritofTravel
National Travel & Tourism Week, May 3-9
 
National Travel & Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the contributions and accomplishments of the U.S. travel industry, spotlights the Spirit of Travel.
 
The coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis is having an unprecedented impact on the travel industry and the entire economy. Now more than ever, the travel and tourism community must come together, support each other and remind our country that even through the most difficult times, the Spirit of Travel cannot be broken.
 
There’s no doubt times are difficult; we all feel far apart, and daily schedules have been thoroughly disrupted. During #nttw20, embrace the #SpiritOfTravel: Take a moment to remind your employees, colleagues and local partners how important they are to you, your business, your community and your visitors.
Community kindness

Island Cow beefs up mask supply

Two crafty local business owners and their family have been sewing their own face masks to help fulfill the need for first responders. Now, they are offering these masks to the public.

Elke and Brian Podlasek of The Island Cow on Sanibel Island, along with their two daughters, have sewn over 3,000 protective face masks and donated them to the staff at Lee Health, as well as local fire and police departments and other first responders. To help fund this special initiative and bring the masks community-wide, the family is making these masks available to the public for purchase.

Read more about their efforts

The Podlasek Family - Owners of the Island Cow
Cow print mask
Best practices
Webinars

This week, U.S. Travel is launching a new webinar series that will take place at 12 p.m. every Thursday. Register below. 

"Addressing Uncertainty Through Safety: New Guidance for the Industry" on May 7 will cover the health and safety guidance released under the leadership of U.S. Travel that aims to provide consistency for travelers across every stage of their travel journey.

Register here!

Next week, on May 14representatives from Engagious will walk through their latest Back-to-Normal Barometer, a new study listening to the voice of the leisure activity customer. It will focus on the assurances travelers are looking for in order to feel safe traveling again.

Register here!
Helpful links
  • Florida Gulf Coast University report: Coronavirus Economic Impact Survey results
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Join our weekly industry partner call: 11 a.m. Friday, May 8
Subscribe to our Monthly Industry Partner Newsletter
Suggestions, questions, feedback? Email us!

Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
2201 Second Street, Suite 600, Fort Myers, FL 33901, USA
phone: (239) 338-3500 | toll free: (800) 237-6444

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