City announces ‘St. Pete Way’ guidelines for residents and businesses

In continuing its campaign to encourage social responsibility, the City of St. Petersburg released “The St. Pete Way” Monday, outlining guidelines for safely reopening the city for business. 

“There are government directives and orders, and then there is The St. Pete Way,” the guide reads. “As we work to Restart St. Pete, here’s how you can help us keep our city healthy.”

The guide then outlines preferred, socially-responsible behaviors for residents, including:

• Hand-washing for 20 seconds, long enough to sing: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, You make me happy when skies are gray, You’ll never know dear, how much I love you, Please don’t take my sunshine away.”
• Six-foot social distancing: About the wingspan of a brown pelican – the official bird of St. Pete
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
• Building a culture of health
• Being kind
• Shoppin local 

Then, the guide outlines preferred policies and practices for businesses, including:

• Creating hand sanitizer stations for all customers
• Adopting a reservation system
• Wearing masks
• Sourcing local, when possible. 

The guide encourages a “slow and sunny” approach, encouraging business owners to take their time and open when they are ready, while keeping in mind the changes they’ve made to their businesses, to transform their business strategies and work together. 

“Share best practice,” it says. “Be a champion for health and safety. Now is a good time to look for new ways of doing business or continue models that have worked during this pandemic.”

 “Our residents and business owners are being inundated with daily directives and announcements from every level of government,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman in a statement. “While these are important and must be heeded, the most effective way of finding our way out of this public health crisis is by taking personal responsibility and simply doing the right thing for yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors. That’s what The St. Pete Way is all about. That’s what St. Pete is all about.”

See the full guide here.