Pinellas County moves to Level 1 virtual activation due to Covid-19
March 31, 2020 - The Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) upgraded to a Level 1 virtual activation Tuesday morning. In this case, virtual means that many county staff and partners are working remotely to maintain safe social distancing and reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, the county said in a news release. County or partner staff reporting to the EOC continue to be screened for illness before entering the facility. Working groups have established emergency medical service transport procedures, an emotional support phone line and business collaborations for locally-produced personal protective equipment. The county still is accepting donations of personal protective equipment and ventilators, as well as non-perishable food. As of Tuesday morning, there were 144 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Pinellas County, up from 129 cases on Monday night. Five deaths and 45 hospitalizations in Pinellas County are attributed to coronavirus.