CLAY COUNTY – Florida COVID-19 emergency is over, according to Governor Ron DeSantis, and his latest executive order ends all local COVID-19 emergency orders.

The order also bans school, businesses and government buildings from requiring anyone to prove they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19, effectively ending the concern some residents have over the possibility of COVID-19 vaccination passports. It also bans government orders enforcing masks, too.

How does all of this affect Clay County, which has been in a local state of emergency since the start of the pandemic, though?

Not much.

“An emergency order is different from a local state of emergency, which is what I enact in Clay County when there’s a threat,” Clay County Emergency Management Director John Ward said. “It helps us circumvent purchasing processes [and other things] that might require more time than we have.”

Ward said the county has been in a state of emergency since COVID-19 began, but that this is different than the “emergency orders” DeSantis banned with his latest executive order. Emergency orders often limit rights and liberties, like being forced to wear a mask by governmental order.

“An emergency order directs citizens to do something,” Ward said. “Some counties wrap all of that into a local state of emergency. We don’t.”

Ward said one time the county enacted an emergency order was when it enacted a curfew during Hurricane Irma. The county has never enacted an emergency order in relation to COVID-19. Some counties have curfews as a result of COVID-19 while others have full-on mask requirements when out and about town. That’s not the case for Clay County and Gov. DeSantis’ executive order doesn’t change any of the county’s COVID-19-related proceedings as a result.

“I think they [state government] had a lot of issues with some communities down in South Florida that had curfews for extended periods of time and mask mandates and that’s what they’re trying to control, I believe.”

DeSantis’ executive order states: “Whereas, in light of these recently enacted reforms, the widespread vaccination of Florida residents, and the sufficient supply of vaccines for all eligible Florida residents, I find that it is necessary for the State of Florida to enhance its rapid and orderly restoration and recovery from the COVID-19 emergency by preempting and suspending all remaining local emergency restrictions on individuals and businesses and to return day-to-day life back to normal everywhere in the State.”

Because Clay County’s government has not enacted any “local emergency restrictions on individuals and businesses,” this executive order doesn’t affect county residents.