State OKs Pinellas vacation rental plans
May 20, 2020 - Short-term vacation rental properties in Pinellas County can resume accepting reservations and check-ins, effective immediately, after the county's safety plan was approved by the state Wednesday afternoon. Vacation rentals were among the businesses that closed during efforts to control the spread of Covid-19. In a letter to the state outlining the safety plan, County Administrator Barry Burton said tourism supported more than 100,000 jobs and contributed more than $9 billion to the local economy last year, and the diversity of lodging is key to bringing back employment and visitors. Property owners and managers will receive a copy of the plan outlining safety and sanitation measures that must be followed to reopen, according to a news release from the county. One requirement in the plan is that reservations from areas identified by Gov. DeSantis as high risk must be for periods longer than the required quarantine period.