ORANGE COUNTY, FLA. — Coronavirus cases are rising in Central Florida and across the country. 


What You Need To Know

  • Orange County providing small businesses with PPE

  • Coronavirus cases on the rise in Central Florida

  • Hundreds of small businesses had appointments to pick up PPE on Tuesday

As the state surpassed the one-million case mark on Tuesday, Orange County is taking steps to help stop further spread, in part by helping small businesses by providing personal protective equipment once again. 

On Tuesday, hundreds of small businesses from across the county filed into Downey, Cypress Grove and West Orange parks. Yetzenia Negron, point of distribution manager for the West Orange Park site, said each of the three parks had 600 appointments to pick up PPE from small businesses Tuesday. They're expecting to assist around 7,500 small businesses with PPE over the week. 

A steady stream of cars filed into West Orange Park Tuesday morning, ready to stock up on supplies. 

“We’re very worried about the spike in the cases,” said Jose Rodriguez Marmol, who was picking up PPE supplies for his business, JJ Art and Design Productions. 

Working through the pandemic to teach art to kids, teens, and adults, Rodriguez Marmol says it’s been tricky these past few months. 

“Arts and the entertainment business, they’ve been very hurt by this pandemic," Rodriguez Marmol said. "And we are so happy to be a voice and say even though we have been hurt, we’re here, we’re standing tall."

At West Orange Park, they’re stocking up on masks and hand sanitizer for their business along with hundreds of others. 

“We want our residents to experience this holiday season the best way possible, we want our businesses to continue to flourish," Negron said.

But not all businesses are following coronavirus safety measures so closely and county leaders are looking to crack down on that.

The county is considering an executive order that would penalize businesses habitually breaking rules. But that could be tricky, clashing with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s relaxed state guidelines. 

While Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings urges businesses to comply, county crews pass out thousands of masks and hand sanitizer to small businesses in hopes it slows the spread. 

“This is really important, Negron said. "We want to decrease those COVID-19 cases, we don’t want to see more deaths."

And while many hope the new year will bring hope and health for all with it, until then, safety precautions and increased PPE access is making small business owners like Rodgriguez Marmol more comfortable. 

“This definitely helps us to be safe and helps others to be safe as well,” Rodriguez Marmol said. 

So far this year, Orange County has distributed 14 million face masks and 2 million hand sanitizer containers to roughly 60,000 small businesses.