Emergency Directive 20-07 Count OV Monroe Jta a 1,l'r'
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Y _ ,1; Mayor Heather Carruthers.District 3
z , Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Coldiron,District 2
The Florida Keys ` „ Craig Cates,District I
David Rice,District 4
Sylvia J.Murphy,District 5
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MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT o,. -0
EMERGENCY DIRECTIVE 20-07 •-n- ,,,
SUBJECT: Greyhound Bus Passenger Screenings =• — j
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WHEREAS, Section 252.38(3)(a), Florida Statutes, gives political subdivision the o
authority to declare and enact a State of Local Emergency for a period of up to sevr w
days, . �
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thereby waiving the procedures and formalities otherwise required of the political subdivision by '
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WHEREAS, on March 1,2020, the Governor of Florida issued Executive Order Number i p c. ra-
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20-51, directing the State Health Officer and Surgeon General to declare a Public Health n a WQe
Emergency due to the discovery of COVID-19'novel coronavirus in Florida;and Ul
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WHEREAS, on March 9,2020, the Governor of Florida issued Executive Order Number o N o
20-52, declaring a State of Emergency for the state of Florida related to COVID-19/novel b
coronavirus; and 1 b 1
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WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, the County Mayor declared a State of Emergency for a.
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all of Monroe County;and F ' 4.
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WHEREAS, COVID-19/novel coronavirus poses a health risk to Monroe County residents,
particularly elderly residents and those who are immunosuppressed or otherwise have high-risk
medical conditions; and
WHEREAS, minimization of contact is necessary to avoid risk of COVID-19 infection for
the residents of the County; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control ("CDC")has issued guidance entitled "15 Days
to Slow the Spread," encouraging social distancing and maintaining a 6 foot separation between
residents to slow the spread of infection and that events with more than 10 attendees either be
cancelled or held virtually; and
WHEREAS, the CDC guidelines are based upon the amount of community spread within a
community and become more stringent where there is minimal to moderate or substantial
community spread; and
WHEREAS, in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Monroe
County, on March 20, 2020, the Emergency Management Director issued Emergency Directive 20-
02, which closed the County to tourists and other leisure travelers; and
WHEREAS, due to the intensity of COVID-19 in other hot spots in the nation, the Governor
has imposed additional screening measures for travelers departing from hot spots, see, Executive
Orders 2020-80, 2020-82, and 2020-86; and
WHEREAS, due to the intensity of COVID-19 in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties,the
Governor has imposed heightened restrictions on residents and businesses in those two counties,see,
Executive Order 2020-70; and
WHEREAS,Miami-Dade County is the county to the immediate north of Monroe County with
the only means of land access into the populated portion of Monroe County via U.S. 1 and Card
Sound Road; and
WHEREAS,due to the intensity of COVID-19 community spread in Miami-Dade County,the
Mayor of Miami-Dade County has taken a series of steps to curtail the spread of the virus by
prohibiting gatherings by boaters or"rafting" (Miami-Dade Executive Order 8-20), and closing non-
essential businesses (Miami-Dade Executive Order 7-20, as amended), closing parks,beaches, and
recreational facilities (Miami-Dade Executive Order 06-20, as amended), and gatherings of groups of
10 or more people in public (Miami-Dade Executive Order 10-20); and
WHEREAS, on March 20, 2020, the Emergency Management Director issued Emergency
Directive 20-02, which closed the County to tourists and other leisure travelers; and
WHEREAS,the aforementioned closures in Miami-Dade County have caused residents there to
travel to Monroe County in violation of Monroe County Executive Directive 20-02,banning leisure
travel and tourists; and
WHEREAS, on March 26, 2020, the Emergency Management Director issued Emergency
Directive 20-03 that directed the Sheriff to initiate check points at the Monroe County line with
Miami-Dade County to screen out unauthorized leisure travelers from entry into the County in
violation of Directive 20-02; and
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WHEREAS,pursuant to that directive,the Sheriff has been screening vehicles to determine that
only those vehicles with residents or non-residents with legitimate business interests are permitted
through the checkpoint; and
WHEREAS, on April 6,2020,the Governor's General Counsel advised the County Attorney
that Executive Orders 2020-80, 2020-82, and 2020-86 authorize the County to conduct screening on
travelers regardless of mode of transportation except for those exempted from screening in Section
1.A of Executive Order 2020-86, as incorporated by Section 4 of Executive Order 2020-86 into
Executive Orders 2020-80 and 2020-82; and
WHEREAS, all passengers,regardless of purpose of travel, run the risk of being exposed to
COVID-19; and
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WHEREAS, Greyhound bus lines operates as a common carrier providing bus passenger
service between terminals located adjacent to Miami International Airport and Key West
International Airport; and
WHEREAS,Greyhound has advised that they allow only permitting passengers with
identification showing a physical address in Monroe County to board the bus from Miami to Key
West due to honor the checkpoint authorized by Emergency Directive 20-03, as amended; and
WHEREAS,the Sheriff has reported that his deputies have found a Greyhound bus was
carrying a passenger who did not have sufficient ID to proceed through the checkpoint; and
WHEREAS, officials from the City of Key West have reported instances of passengers arriving
by bus who are not residents and who do not have a physical address in Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, for the foregoing reasons, it is imperative that all inbound bus passengers arriving
at the Key West International Airport bus terminal be screened for COVID-19 under protocols
developed by the Health Department; and
WHEREAS, Section 11-3(b)(4)(a.) of the Monroe County Code authorizes the
Monroe County Emergency Management Director to issue directives having the
force of law.
NOW THEREFORE, as Monroe County Emergency Management Director,I hereby order the
following:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated as if fully stated herein.
2. The Sheriff shall stop all Greyhound busses at the checkpoint and determine that every
passenger has a Florida drivers license or other state issued identification card displaying a
physical address for a property located in the Florida Keys portion of Monroe County. If any
passenger fails to produce such documentation,the bus shall be refused entry into the County
and directed to return to Miami-Dade County. This order modifies Emergency Directive 20-
03, as amended,to the extent there is any conflict.
3. All persons arriving by common carrier bus, such as Greyhound, at the Key West
International Airport terminal, shall be screened for COVID-19 using protocols developed by
the Monroe County Health Department as approved by the Director of Airports.
4. Screenings may be conducted by personnel of the Monroe County Health Department,
Monroe County Fire Rescue Department, and the Key West Fire Department.
5. Each person screened shall isolate or quarantine at that person's own expense for a period of
14 days or the duration of that person's stay in the County,whichever is shorter.
6. All persons screened shall be provided with a copy of this Directive.
7. The Key West Police Department is authorized to check the identification of each arriving
passenger on the bus line to determine if that passenger has a Florida Driver's license or
identification card showing a local physical address in Monroe County. If an arriving
passenger does not possess such identification,the passenger must reboard the bus and
depart on the next trip out of Monroe County.
8. Violations of this order shall be punishable pursuant to Section 252.50,Florida Statutes, with
a period of incarceration of up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to$500.00. Additional
charges may be prosecuted if other statutes are violated.
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9. This directive shall take effect on , after filing with the Monroe
County Clerk,per Section 252.46(2), Florida Statutes.
Signed: At, i Date: April A020 Time:
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Approved as to Form and Legal Sufficiency in Advance.
Robert B. Shillitmer. Monroe County Attorney