What does it mean?
Hillsborough County issued a Safer-at-Home Order to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19. This applies to all residents within Hillsborough County including the cities of Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace, effective as of 10 PM on March 27, 2020. Residents do not require a pass or a letter to show to authorities. Safer-at-Home means all residents are directed to stay at home as much as possible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, except in those circumstances outlined below. Read the entire order and the amendment to the order.
How long will it last?
The order is in place until it is rescinded by the Emergency Policy Group.
What you can do
- Go to the grocery, convenience or warehouse store
- Commute to and from work if your employer is an essential business, or work from home or other remote location if your employer is a non-essential business
- Go to the pharmacy or other medical establishments to pick up medications and other healthcare necessities
- Go to medical appointments (but first, check with your doctor or medical provider)
- Go to a restaurant for take-out or drive-thru
- Care for or support a friend or family member in need
- Take a walk, run, or exercise outside - just remember to practice social distancing -- that means at least 6 feet between you and others in the community
- Walk your pets or take them to the vet
- Take your child where they need to go if its directed by a custody sharing agreement or order
- See a list of cancellations and closures
Essential Businesses
- Grocery stores
- Restaurant delivery and drive thrus
- Airlines, taxis and other private transportation providers
- Gas stations
- Laundromats
- Veterinarian offices
- Businesses engaged in food cultivation, including farming, livestock, and fishing
- Businesses that provide shelter and social services
- Hardware and gardening stores
- Firearm and ammunition supply stores
- Newspaper, television, radio and other media services
- Businesses that provide food and shelter
Essential Services
- Fire Rescue
- First responders
- Law enforcement
- Essential federal employees and military personnel
- Personnel employed by an entity identified as one of the sixteen critical infrastructure sectors by the Cyber-Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland
- Security when pursuing work-related functions, or traveling directly to or from work and their respective residents.
- State and local government employees providing services during this state of emergency
- School district employees providing services during this state of emergency
- Medical and health-related personnel
- Mass transit personnel
- Religious Services are considered an essential activity under the statewide Stay at Home Order issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, April 1. Please read the guidelines for religious services.
If my business isn’t listed as “essential” do I have to close?
Get answers to this and more business related information in our Business FAQ section.
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Safer-at-Home Order
The Safer-at-Home Order directs residents to remain at home whenever possible. There are many exceptions to the Safer-at-Home Order.
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The Safer-at-Home Order exempts many people under numerous circumstances. These
include:
- People seeking medical treatment, transporting people seeking medical treatment, or caregivers assisting another person with medical or caregiving needs
- People whose residences are unsafe or have become unsafe, such as victims of domestic violence, should leave their residence and stay at a safe alternative location. Possible safe places include hotels, motels, shared rental units, shelters, and similar facilities.
- People who are preparing or delivering food and drinks
- Anybody commuting to and from their jobs
- People who are walking pets, as long as social distancing guidelines are observed. Anybody can also travel to provide support, obtain care and/or supplies for pets, or while fostering animals.
- Any parent or guardian transporting children because of a custody-sharing agreement or order
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Examples of Essential Businesses and Supply Chains include:
- Grocery stores, farmers’ markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores, liquor stores, and many other establishments
- Gas stations, auto- and recreational vehicle supply and repair shops, and auto dealerships
- Farming, livestock, and fishing
- Businesses that provide food, shelter, social services, and other necessities
- Hardware, gardening, and building material stores
- Firearms and ammunition supply stores
- Media services and journalists
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Examples of Trades and Services include:
- Contractors and tradesmen
- Building management and maintenance
- Janitorial companies for commercial buildings
- Home security firms
- Fire and water damage restoration providers
- Public adjusters
- Appliance repair personnel
- Exterminators
- Lawn care and golf course maintenance
- Businesses that provide mailing, logistics, pick-up, shipping services (such as post office boxes), and warehouses
- Trucking, consolidators, fumigators, and handlers
- Veterinarians and pet boarding facilities
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Examples of Government, Educational, Medical, Transit, and First Responder personnel include:
- Essential federal, state, and local government employees
- Military personnel
- School district employees
- Medical and health-related personnel including those who manufacture medical or health-related items
- Mass transit workers
- First responders
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Examples of Residential Facilities, Shelters, and Accommodations that provide needed services include:
- Businesses providing home-based care for seniors, adults, or children
- Assisted living facilities
- Nursing homes
- Adult day care centers
- Home-based and residential settings for adults, seniors, children, and/or people with disabilities or mental illness
- Hotels, motels, other commercial lodging establishments, and temporary vacation rentals
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Examples of additional Businesses and Professions also considered essential include:
- Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers
- Businesses engaged in office space and administrative support
- Mortuaries, funeral homes, and cemeteries that include funeral and cremation services
- Any business with five or fewer employees, including management / ownership, where the employees do not come in regular contact with the general public in the regular course of business
- Moving, storage, and relocation services
- Private and municipal marinas and boat launches, docking, fueling, marine supply, and other marine services
- Janitorial personnel
- Personnel supporting educational needs
- Religious personnel
- Airlines, taxis, and other private transportation providers who offer transportation services by automobile, truck, boat, bus, or train
- Animal care staff who own, operate, or provide continued care of animals at rescue organizations, boarding facilities, veterinarians, and similar businesses, whether or not housed in a shelter
- Attorneys and all personnel associated with supporting essential court proceedings, including all federal, state, and county personnel