Gulf County, Florida – The following message was released by Gulf County Board of County Commission Chairman on March 25th, 2020 in response to COVID-19. There has been no positive test case of COVID-19 in Gulf County as of March 25th, 2020.

To All Gulf County residents and visitors:

As our community, state and nation work together to combat this pandemic and the incredible challenges to each of our families, I wanted to take a moment to emphasize my comments and recommendations offered during our most recent emergency commission meetings.

Very simply, the primary concern and care I have stressed in our meetings, is the health, safety and well being of every resident of Gulf County during this global pandemic. I understand and realize we cannot solve the problems confronting our country but we as a community can most certainly rally around each other as we did just 18 short months ago after Hurricane Michael. While many of us are still recovering and rebuilding, we need to support all our neighbors and families during this national crisis affecting every American.

With our community as my sole concern at this critical time, I have consistently spoken to and supported all actions that will further protect our families’ health and safety. While I recognize there has already been great sacrifice and financial harm for many during this outbreak, it is simply an issue we can never put price or value on above the health of our amazing and unified community. We must protect our elders as fiercely as we will protect our youth and every single resident in between.

Specifically, in this effort to prevent COVID-19, the Gulf County Commission in cooperation with the Governor have actively promoted community wide social distancing, we have closed all our beaches and heavily restricted access to dining, shopping and leisure activities. Please understand we love all visitors to Gulf County but at this critical period of time facing our nation, I cannot state it strongly enough that visitors and their families are simply safer in their own communities where they are accounted for in terms of resources and most importantly available medical care if and when it will be needed. For all the many reasons that visitors love our special community is also exactly the reasons that it is not a safe nor prudent decision to bring your family to Gulf County during this pandemic.

I will continue to support and recommend the closing of our beaches and limit public exposure until it is a safe environment for all our residents and future visitors. Our community is rural and an influx of visitors beyond our ability to manage and serve will cause our limited resources to quickly become strained and our medical system to be burdened as our limited providers struggle to care for both residents and visitors. With this in mind, I am emphatically advising ALL VISITORS (regardless of day trips and extended stays) to stay home in their communities, and thereby staying healthy and safe.

In order to keep Gulf County the incredible community, a safe and healthy place to live, work and play it is vitally important that you honor this sincere request and direction.

I proudly serve as the Chairman to the Board of County Commissioners and it is my sincere prayer and wish for the day that we can welcome our visitors back to our sandy white beaches, shopping in our historic downtown’s and dining in our fantastic local restaurants, once we as a unified nation get through this pandemic.

Please continue to care for your families both here in Gulf County and wherever you receive this letter. It is with deep reflection that I extend to you and your family best wishes for continued strength and health during this challenging time for us all.
In God We Trust,

Chairman Sandy Quinn
Gulf County Board of County Commissioners District IV