Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said on Tuesday she was ready to order a stay-at-home order for her city.
“The city of Tampa is very very densely populated and that’s why I am going to do everything in my power and take every step necessary to protect our citizens,” Castor said on Tuesday.
But Hillsborough County officials issued their own order only hours after Castor spoke out, invalidating the mayor’s position.
“I am confirming… no Stay-at-Home order shall be applicable in any portion of Hillsborough County until further direction by the Emergency Policy Group,” said County Administrator Mike Merrill.
County Commissioners voted 6-2 for a study of a stay-at-home order along with a possible curfew, and tabled the discussion until a meeting Thursday.
Mayor Castor has doubled down, saying she will issue the order anyway, and will go into effect at midnight Thursday.
As of Wednesday morning, Hillsborough County had 91 cases reported in a state that has more than 1,400 positive cases recorded. The county has the third highest number of cases in the state.
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