St. Pete will join Pinellas County in allowing movie theaters to reopen
Rick Kriseman is concerned about declining enrollment at USFSP.

Rick Kriseman
Mayor Rick Kriseman said the move follows Gov. DeSantis' written intent.

St. Petersburg Rick Kriseman will take Pinellas County’s lead on reopening movie theaters, he said Tuesday.

“It is our intention in St. Petersburg to follow Pinellas County who is following written orders of Gov. [Ron] DeSantis,” Kriseman said.

That echoes Pinellas County officials who just before Kriseman spoke defended their decision to allow theaters to reopen.

DeSantis said last Friday his “Full Phase One” reopening did not include movie theaters, but his written executive order did not specifically address them. Previous guidance from his office said movie theaters would be allowed to open at half-capacity in Phase One, which is now fully in effect.

“Right now I’m not aware of any of our movie theaters that are considering opening,” Kriseman said, implying additional action might not be needed.

Speaking from Sunken Gardens in front of a happily dancing Macaw — the park just reopened this week — Kriseman said he’s less concerned with the Phase One reopening than he his the eventual Phase Two.

“I’ve always felt that it was important that every decision we make is driven by data and our ability to consult with health care experts,” Kriseman said.

He said the next phase should happen only after the state has had adequate time to gather data on coronavirus trends through the initial reopening phases before moving toward further relaxing regulations.

Kriseman highlighted several bright spots locally including community testing in the city’s predominately African American community where, of 246 residents tested, only two were positive for COVID-19.

“I have to believe that this is due in part to the overall health of our community and social distancing,” he said.

Kriseman urged residents to remain vigilant and continue wearing face masks or coverings in publics.

He also encouraged local business and restaurants to make facial coverings mandatory for employees.

As of Monday there were 381 reported cases of coronavirus in St. Pete, less than half the more than 1,000 cases countywide. Kriseman said new cases continue to stem from spikes in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, data he said officials are monitoring closely.

Janelle Irwin Taylor

Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003. Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She formerly served as senior reporter for WMNF News. Janelle has a lust for politics and policy. When she’s not bringing you the day’s news, you might find Janelle enjoying nature with her husband, children and two dogs. You can reach Janelle at [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, William March, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704