POLK COUNTY, Fla. — After weeks of residents living under stay-at-home orders, Polk County leaders are discussing how and when to "re-open" the county and start getting back to "normal."
- Some officials concerned about surge in positive cases if county re-opens on May 1
- Lakeland commissioners want re-opening to occur only after consistent reduction in positive cases
- More Polk County stories
County parks have been closed for a month. Polk County Commission Chair Bill Braswell believes it’s time to reopen them. The target date is May 1.
“We’re going to comply with whatever state orders or recommendations or guidelines are out there," said Braswell. "But our goal is just to get things back as close to normal as soon as possible."
Polk County had 361 positive COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths as of noon on April 22. The number of positive cases has steadily increased.
Braswell said there comes a point when we just have to get on with business as usual.
“I think that’s inevitable,” said Bill Braswell, when asked how worried he is about a surge in positive cases upon reopening May 1. “I think that will happen. I think it’s going to be kind of an oscillating up and down and the waves are going to get smaller each time and that’s just the way it has to be.”
Lakeland commissioners and its mayor are taking a more cautious approach.
They sent a letter to the governor requesting for reopening only after there is a consistent reduction in positive tests and deaths over a period of 14 days.
“This isn’t a game that we win by losing," said Mayor Bill Mutz. "We lose by going too soon and we win by following the numbers and I just want us to be cognizant of that."
He hopes Gov. DeSantis allows counties to decide how and when they want to reopen versus a statewide approach.
Mutz said the hope is also that Polk County and city leaders will work together to formulate a united reopening plan.
Much of their plans are contingent on whether DeSantis will lift the “Safer at Home Order,” which ends April 30.