News Update 5/28/20

The newest numbers by the Florida Department of Health show Highlands County has registered no additional cases of Coronavirus. However, 17 additional negative tests have been recorded. Highlands total still stands at 114 positive tests. Of the 3,878 tests administered over the past couple of months here, 3,758 have come back negative.
There have been 36 people listed as hospitalized at some point during their illness. Eight fatalities have been tied to the Coronavirus in Highlands County.
The Florida Department of Emergency Management will again try to have a “Test Express” Bus in Highlands County. At last report it is scheduled to be at Sebring High School. Testing will be from 1-5 this afternoon.

Avon Park city council members are slated to meet tonight. Their regular Monday night session was pushed back due to the observance of Memorial Day.
It appears to be a short agenda. Commissioner Maria Sutherland again wants to talk about municipally-provided subsidies to business and residences in the City of Charm. Councilman Stanley Spurlock reportedly wants an update on the Church Service Center and property currently occupied by the old fire department building.
In other action, the council is slated to mull over the status of Independence day fireworks.

Sebring firefighters were called to a structure fire last night. That one occurred on First Street in the Highlands Homes area shortly after 9pm. Reportedly the house was fully-involved when units arrived at the scene.
The family was able to evacuate the home and no injuries were reported. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Good news! Just in time for the summer tourist season here, state officials has given their blessings to the Highlands County plan to re-open Short Term Vacation Rental properties.
In addition to Centers for Disease Control cleaning and sanitation mandates, owners of such properties can only rent for two weeks or more to residents of hot-spot states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Louisiana for periods longer than Florida’s quarantine mandate.