“These are our parents, grandparents of our children, friends and neighbors, who are too valuable to risk losing to a virus that can be prevented if precautions are taken,” said Lander. “Younger adults are becoming infected with the virus in our community and passing it on to older adults they contact at home, at work, at the store, or elsewhere in the community.”
Older adults must take steps to protect themselves from COVID-19
– Wash your hands often
– Avoid crowds and large gatherings, especially in venues with poor ventilation.
– Don’t shake hands with people.
– Keep at least six feet between you and other people.
– Stay away from people who may be sick.
– Wear cloth face coverings in public places.
– Try shopping during off-hours—later on weeknights or earlier on weekends—when crowds at stores are lower.
– Avoid touching “high-touch” surfaces: elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, etc.
– Find out if family or friends have been sick in the past two weeks BEFORE they visit. If they have been sick, reschedule at least two weeks out.
– If you depend on regular medical treatment like dialysis, wound care, etc., talk to your health care provider about special arrangements.
– Create a contact list of family, friends, neighbors, health care providers, community assistance programs and drivers. Make sure phone numbers are up to date.
– Stay in touch with the people on your list and let them know you may need them for help if you become sick.
Post Date: 07/23/2020 5:46 PM
OCALA, Fla. (July 23, 2020) – City of Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, will launch a monthly newsletter to provide an overview of his community engagement and updates from the Ocala Police Department.
The newsletter will be available the third Friday of each month, with the inaugural issue launching Friday, July 24.
The community is encouraged to subscribe to the newsletter by signing up online at https://www.ocalafl.org/services/advanced-components/enotification.
For more information, please contact the Office of the Mayor at 352-401-3977.
OCALA, Fla. (July 16, 2020) – The Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA), in partnership with the City of Ocala, has made the decision to reschedule the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series to 2021 due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, including restrictions for attending public gatherings in Florida, community reservations about attending public events, and the limited resources to execute the event. After conversations with series partners, including the Levitt Foundation, the series is being slated for 2021 to provide time to overcome the effects of COVID-19 and to secure additional resources.
In addition to the important objective of safeguarding the health of the community, the long-term sustainability of the series was also considered. Moving forward, the series will need to secure additional resources to continue the level of performances the community has come to expect and enjoy. The Levitt Foundation has committed to continued grant support of the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series in 2021, and the City and MCA are working on additional resources to support the series. Organizations interested in supporting the series through volunteerism or sponsorship should contact Ocala Cultural Arts at 352-629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.org.
“Marion Cultural Alliance is the nonprofit partner of the Levitt AMP Music Series and supports the decision by the City to postpone the popular free music series until next spring,” said Jaye Baillie, Marion Cultural Alliance Executive Director. “This decision did not come easily as this concert series, now in its fourth year, is loved by thousands of friends, families, and neighbors who enjoy this free concert series. However, the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic is driving the decision. We want to ensure the people of our community, including the attendees, performing artists, sponsors, community partners, vendors and dedicated staff remain safe.”
To stay up-to-date on Levitt AMP Ocala, visit www.ocalafl.org/levittamp or follow @LevittAMPOcala on Facebook or Instagram.
Post Date: 07/10/2020 2:43 PM
OCALA, Fla. (July 10, 2020) – In order to accommodate a road resurfacing project, lane closures will be in place along North Magnolia Avenue, from State Road 40 to NE Fifth Street Monday, July 20 through Saturday, October 17.
All necessary devices will be in place to redirect traffic. Construction will take place Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with Saturdays reserved for weather delays. During construction times travelers may experience delays, noise, dust, and heavy equipment within the project areas.
For more information, please contact the City Engineer’s Office, Capital Projects Division at 352-629-8419.
OCALA, Fla. (July 10, 2020) – Due to scheduled runway and taxiway construction work, the Ocala International Airport will be closed nightly, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., during the following:
- 8 p.m. Thursday, July 16 through 7 a.m. Saturday, July 18
- 8 p.m. Sunday July 19, through 7 a.m. Wednesday, July 22
Aircrews are advised to plan accordingly to accommodate these critical airport infrastructure improvements. During these nightly closures, the airport will be closed to all fixed-winged aircraft. Rotary wing (helicopter) operations will be permitted away from construction areas. Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) will be published on the FAA NOTAM website to publicize the closure to aircrews.
For more information, please contact the Ocala International Airport at 352-572-0492 or visit www.ocalaairport.com.
Held on the outdoor stage July 23 to August 1!
Vocalists are Shannon Guinn, Deion Howard, James Taylor, and Megan Wager, with Philip King as music director and pianist.
Reservations available by phone or online only
Join us for a theatrical concert featuring some of OCT’s best-known performers!
This 90-minute concert with no intermission will be held on our brand-new outdoor stage behind the theatre. Seating is limited and safely distanced at small tables (up to groups of four) on the patio around the stage. There will be outdoor concessions.
Featuring old and new favorites from All Shook Up • Annie Get Your Gun • Big Fish • Cinderella
Dear Evan Hansen • Guys and Dolls • Into the Woods • Mean Girls • On the Town • Seussical
Songs for a New World • The Sound of Music • Sweet Charity • You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown • and more!
PLEASE NOTE
Physical tickets will not be printed. You will receive an email confirmation for you records when you complete your order. When you come to the performance please check-in at the outdoor stage area and we’ll have your name on our VIP list for that performance!
Performances held on our recently renovated our Outdoor Stage located behind the theatre! Please consider making a donation at check out.
OCALA, Fla. (July 9, 2020) – The City of Ocala’s Aquatic Fun Centers are extending their summer season. Both the Jervey Gantt Aquatic Fun Center, 2390 SW 36th Ave., and the Hampton Aquatic Fun Center, 255 NW Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., will remain open through August 8, Mondays through Saturdays, with two swim sessions, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. Facilities will remain closed Sundays to facilitate current cleaning and sanitation measures.
Beginning August 15 through September 5, both facilities will be open on Saturdays only, with two sessions, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
The final day of the season will be Monday, September 7 with two sessions, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. The Aquatic Fun Centers will close for the season Monday, September 7, 5 p.m.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, additional restrictions and guidelines are in effect for operations at both facilities:
- Temperature and health screenings at entry
- Plexiglass shields installed at customer service counters, as well as six-foot separation markers for entry
- Reduced bathing loads to 75% normal capacity that are monitored and adjusted to ensure proper social distancing
- No swim lessons
- Waterslides are closed
- Groups, camps, and field trips are prohibited
- Reduced number of chairs available with distancing guidelines in place
- Concessions are pre-packaged foods only
Admission for each swim session is $2 for ages 17 and under and $3 ages 18 and up. Admission is free for ages one and under. Facility operations are subject to change and staff continue to monitor conditions based on recommended guidelines. A detailed list of restrictions and guidelines for both aquatic centers can be found at www.ocalafl.org/aquatics.
For more information, please call the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at 352-368-5517.
Three Ways to Stay Connected to Your Senior Loved Ones While Social Distancing
After more than 45 days in lockdown, it’s no surprise that many people are going a tad stir-crazy. But it’s far worse for seniors: Not only have visits from their kids and grandkids been suspended, but there’s the extra stress that comes with the nagging suspicion that they’ll be advised to remain on lockdown long after younger people begin trickling back to work and the world starts opening up again.
In fact, the AARP Foundation has even come up with this dire comparison: Prolonged social isolation, for those aged 50 and older, “is the health equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” Fortuitously, some of the niftiest technology offers solutions both to keep us connected and protect against some of the miscreants taking advantage of the situation.
- Health Checks. If you are worried that all of the anxiety is harming your loved ones’ overall well-being, the machine-learning algorithms that analyze activity data as part of Alarm.com’s Wellness solution can provide you with the very details you’ve suddenly found yourself obsessing about.
Did they open their medicine cabinet when they should, to take their prescription? Have their sleeping, eating, and (yes) bathroom patterns changed? Are they up and about during the day? Continue reading
(NAPSI)—According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in the U.S., more than 12 million children receive free or reduced-price breakfast at school, and more than 29.7 million get lunch through the national school lunch program. For many, school meals are the only consistent food they get in a day and, while many school districts have continued distributing meals during the pandemic shutdown, when the school year ends, so do school meals. But there is hope and help.
Nationally, companies and non-profit organizations are partnering to help meet the needs in the community. One such partnership between Herbalife Nutrition and Feed the Children, a nonprofit organization, aims at solving the issue of food insecurity. The two organizations have united under the shared commitment to defeat hunger worldwide.
The Importance of Nutrition
The most vulnerable members of our society, children, rely on school meals and feeding programs to survive. Families living paycheck to paycheck may not have savings or support systems to help them. When children are guaranteed proper health and sanitation measures, they are able to prevent and fight disease, enabling them to develop both physically and mentally into strong children who become contributing members of their communities. Continue reading
(NAPSI)—Young men and those who care about them should consider the story of Max Mallory. At 22 he graduated from college and started his dream job in the video game industry. He landed the job before graduation at the company where he had interned for almost a year. Set up in his own apartment, he started to live his life on his own and navigate the nuances of that first professional job.
Life was fine until mid-October, when Max experienced what seemed like stomach troubles and minor back pain. After two visits to urgent care centers where doctors prescribed antibiotics, he came home to stay with his dad and visit a urologist. He never made it to that medical appointment. Doubled over with sudden pain the next afternoon, he called 911. Late that evening in the emergency room, he heard the worrisome diagnosis: late-stage testicular cancer.
His cancer journey lasted only seven hard-fought months. He had an aggressive testicular cancer, choriocarcinoma. He passed away three days after he received the first round of stem cells.
He couldn’t have prevented his testicular cancer with self-exams, since he “was born with” one testicle that was healthy. Continue reading
