Jacksonville Mayor announces executive order limiting hotel occupancy

Jacksonville, FL — Hoping to slow the coronavirus outbreak, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has announced an executive order that puts restrictions on hotel occupancy.

Effective Tuesday at 5 pm, hotels and motels will only be allowed to accept ‘essential lodgers’ such as health care professionals and first responders.

“Unfortunately, other locations outside the City have not been as proactive or as vigilant in enforcing the CDC’s guidance and maintaining proper social distancing or limiting non-essential travel. Numerous persons have congregated in the state for spring break, cruises and other personal travel, thereby potentially endangering the residents of the City”, said Curry.

According to the executive order, ‘essential lodgers’ are classified as:

• Healthcare professionals
• First responders
• National Guard members
• Law enforcement
• State or federal government employee,
• Airline crew members
• Patients
• Patients' families
• Journalists
• Others responding to COVID-19
• Displaced residents or visitors
• Persons unable to return to their home due to COVID-19 impacts on travel
• Persons who must vacate their home due to exigent circumstances, such as fire or flood
• Persons utilizing hotels as transitional living arrangements
• Persons sheltering in hotels due to domestic violence
• Hotel employees, service providers, and contractors
• Individuals who, for any reason, are temporarily unable to reside in their home

According to the executive order, the new order signed Monday does not apply to short term vacation rentals which are regulated by the state, but over the weekend Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a state executive order Saturday banning new reservations for short-term rental properties. The state executive order says the mandate will last for 14 days unless it is extended.

You can watch the latest press conference below.