Planners Respond to New Virus
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MONDAY March 16, 2020 PUBLIC LEGAL jaxdailyrecord.com • 35 cents NOTICES BEGIN ON PAGE 3 JACKSONVILLE Daily Record JACKSONVILLE CurryDail closes cityy event Re venuescord JACKSONVILLE Photo by Mike Mendenhall The Pete the Cat show at the Florida Theatre is one of many postponed events. Daily RecordPlanners respond to JACKSONVILLE new virus Fears of spreading the illness led to Daily Recordclosings and delays. BY KATIE GARWOOD, MIKE MENDENHALL AND SCOTT SAILER STAFF WRITERS With the first case of corona- virus diagnosed in Duval County as of March 13, cancellations, postponements and closings are becoming standard. Photo by Mike Mendenhall Hospitality-related business- Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry briefs reporters March 13 on his decision to indefinitely close all city-owned event venues due to the spread of es are among those affected as coronavirus. events are canceled and travel to the region decreases. Mayor Lenny Curry announced Jacksonville parks are Curry said the closures extend to city to suspend permits for large gatherings March 13 that city venues, librar- shut down and “Hamilton” parks and libraries and the Jacksonville in city parks and public places through ies, senior centers and other Zoo. the end of March. nonessential departments would is “not happening.” During a March 13 news conference The mayor announced the Broadway close by the end of the day until in the City Hall atrium, Curry said his musical “Hamilton,” scheduled for a further notice. BY MIKE MENDENHALL unilateral steps are to slow the spread March 17-29 run at the Times-Union That means events scheduled STAFF WRITER of COVID-19, the disease caused by Center, is “not happening.” at city venues will be canceled or the coronavirus, in Duval County. On its website March 13, The Times- postponed. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry “I have a mission and job to do. We Union Center told “Hamilton” attend- The Players Championship was ordered all city-sponsored events can- as city officials all have a mission and ees to hold onto their tickets, as the canceled March 12 for the first celed and all city-owned event venues a job to do and that is to make sure the venue will push to get the show to time in the tournament’s his- closed indefinitely in response to the people and families of Duval County, return to Jacksonville. tory. It typically attracts about growing spread of the new coronavi- Jacksonville, Florida are safe,” Curry City Hall and other municipal 200,000 visitors for the tourna- rus. said. administrative buildings will remain ment. The list includes The Times-Union “The way we’re going to do that is open, but Curry encouraged people to Organizers postponed the Gen- Center for Performing Arts, VyStar slow the spread of the coronavirus “minimize their in-person transac- eration W conference scheduled Veterans Memorial Arena, TIAA Bank and, eventually, eradicate the spread,” tions at government buildings” and for April 3 at the University of Field, 121 Financial Ballpark and the he said. Prime Osborn Convention Center. Curry instructed city departments SEE CURRY, PAGE 2 SEE CLOSURES , PAGE 2 JBA cancels or reschedules meetings The Jacksonville Bar Association canceled its March 25 member meeting and canceled or postponed other events through March 31, although some might be online. The Jacksonville Women Law- yers Association canceled its March 19 meeting, and organizers canceled the March 24 reception for the American Bar Associa- tion 19th Amendment exhibit. Duval County Judge R. Anthony Salem’s March 26 investiture is postponed. Visit jaxbar.org for information. More at JaxDailyRecord.com VOLUME 107, NO. 84 • ONE SECTION 2 JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD | MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2020 JaxDailyRecord.com County. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Depart- Curry ment Chief Keith Powers said March 13 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 that the 83-year-old patient was a resi- dent at a Town Center-area assisted liv- JACKSONVILLE ing center. Because of the federal HIPAA use online methods to file documents law, Powers did not release the name of and pay bills when possible. the facility during the news briefing. Daily Record “We strongly encourage businesses and The patient is being treated at Memo- organizations to take similar actions,” he rial Hospital, according to Daily Record said. “We’re not mandating any of this news partner News4Jax.com. HOW TO REACH US currently, but we want people to be cau- Five first responders who were dis- tious and thoughtful.” patched to the facility have been quar- 10 N. Newnan St., Jacksonville, FL, 32202 Curry did not declare an official state of antined. Curry said the responders were Phone: (904) 356-2466, Fax (904) 353-2628 emergency March 13, but the mayor said not aware the patient was infected with he could reconsider that position as the the virus and were not wearing the proper jaxdailyrecord.com state of the coronavirus evolves. He said protective gear to prevent infection from ABOUT US he is in contact with the Jacksonville Port exposure when they arrived. Authority, Jacksonville Aviation Author- City Council President Scott Wilson Jacksonville Daily Record and Jacksonville Record & Observer are a division of ity and JEA about their operations. said he will coordinate with the admin- Observer Media Group Inc. In a March 12 tweet, Curry shared his istration before deciding whether to hold frustration with the speed of information scheduled Council committee and board Established in 1912, the Financial News & Daily Record, now the Jacksonville Daily coming from the Florida Department of meetings over the next two weeks. Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court Newspaper of the Circuit Health. He wrote he was disappointed Wilson said he will issue a news release Court and publisher of public notices in Duval County. his administration learned of the first with that information. positive case in Duval County from local Jacksonville Record & Observer is a free weekly business newspaper available in media. [email protected] Downtown Jacksonville and key business nodes throughout Jacksonville. To find a The mayor’s news conference came @MIMENDENHALL location near you, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/rack-locations. less than 24 hours after the first case of (904) 356-2466 the new virus was confirmed in Duval Editorial content focuses on news and trends, with a concentration on development, real estate, construction, law, companies, economic and industry trends and how local and state government affects business. STAFF to reschedule events once or twice per Publisher / Matt Walsh Director of Advertising / Jay Lesowitz year, but the disruption caused by the [email protected] [email protected] Closures coronavirus is unprecedented. Publisher Emeritus / James F. Bailey Jr. Advertising Coordinator / Codi Gildberg CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “The bigger question mark is how long [email protected] [email protected] this will take and how long authorities Editor / Karen Brune Mathis Legal Advertising Manager / Janet Mohr want venues to be closed,” he said. [email protected] [email protected] North Florida. The event, which attracts Mary Fisher, president and CEO of Managing Editor / Monty Zickuhr Legal Advertising Associate / Rhonda Fisher about 1,300 attendees, is expected to take Mary Fisher Design LLC, a web design [email protected] [email protected] place in September. and marketing firm, said her business is / Max Marbut Associate Editor Legal Affairs Network Administrator / Erik Wagner Visit Jacksonville, the city’s tourism linked to swings in the stock market and [email protected] [email protected] and marketing bureau, surveyed hotels the economy, which is affected by the / Katie Garwood Staff Writer Court Typeset / Paula Steiner and found most had group cancellations coronavirus. [email protected] [email protected] and postponements. Most also expe- She said the company was working Staff Writer / Mike Mendenhall rienced a drop in leisure and business on three trade show booths and all were [email protected] Director of Circulation / Anne Shumate [email protected] travel bookings, stemming from corpo- canceled. Staff Writer / Scott Sailer rate bans on nonessential travel. “Our phones are completely dead right [email protected] Distribution / Tim Reagan Visit Jacksonville President and CEO now,” she said. “No one is calling.” [email protected] Business Manager / Angie Campbell Michael Corrigan said in a statement that In The Rail Yard District near Down- [email protected] a drop in business travel is expected for town, wedding bookings at The Glass the next few months. Factory haven’t been affected as of mid- The agency also isn’t advertising or day March 13, said Business Manager PRESS RELEASE/INQUIRY/REPRINTS promoting the city to tourists. A spokes- Lauryn Howell. A wedding was planned woman said Visit Jacksonville had no for this weekend. Submit a press release or editorial inquiry online advertising planned for March or April Howell said she would rebook clients jaxdailyrecord.com/submit-news-release or email [email protected]. since the organization was planning to who decide to reschedule, but none have Article reprints are available at jaxdailyrecord.com run more ads later in the year. canceled because of the virus as of March “We are working with state and 13. national travel industry partners and will “We’re carrying on with business