As part of Lake County’s commitment to public health and safety, the County is taking steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On February 24, 2020, the County formed a Task Force of stakeholders to monitor COVID-19 and make recommendations for preventing the spread of the virus.
The Lake County government is offering online scheduling for COVID-19 immunizations. Immunizations are limited to the priority population outlined in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' Executive Order 20-315, to include long-term care facility residents and staff, persons 65 years of age and older, and health care personnel with direct patient contact.
Appointments are required due to limited availability. Persons arriving to an immunization site without an appointment will be turned away.
Florida's COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Plan is a long-term, multi-faceted approach to immunization that will require a whole community effort supported by various organizations and agencies within Lake County.
Hospitals
Area hospitals are planning Public immunization initiatives to immunize those in the Governor's priority populations. For more information, view the resources below.
Orlando Health - South Lake Hospital
South Lake Hospital has opened immunizations to the public via appointment only.
More information here.
Pharmacies
CVS and Walgreens have partnered with long-term care facilities to immunize the residents and staff at facilities in Lake County. For more information, visit the COVID-19 vaccination websites for CVS and Walgreens.
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, call your doctor immediately. If you have trouble breathing or other concerning symptoms, call 911 for immediate help. If you do not have a doctor, call 352-268-9299 for testing guidance.
The state's regional COVID-19 testing site is located at the Orange County Convention Center and tests on a first come, first served basis from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Testing is free for residents and non-residents aged 18 and older. No symptoms are required and testing is administered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Orange County Convention Center (North Concourse parking lot)
5980 Destination Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32819.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SHIP Rental Assistance
The Lake County Department of Housing and Human Services offers information on SHIP rental assistance. Residents can email [email protected] to receive an application and a secure link for uploading their forms and supporting documents. Residents can also call 352-742-6530, fax 352-742-6505 or come by the office, located at 2008 Classique Lane in Tavares. More details here.
Mortgage Assistance
Banks are taking actions to assist customers, but those actions vary by bank. An alphabetical list of banks and their publicly announced steps of action can be viewed here: American Banking Association website.
It is not a complete list; however, the ABA will continue to update it as they receive additional information from banks across the nation.
On Sep. 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the issuance of an Order under Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act to temporarily halt residential evictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. To invoke the CDC's order, tenants, lessees, or residents of residential properties who are covered by the CDC's order temporarily halting residential evictions, must provide an executed copy of the Declaration form to their landlord, owner of the residential property where they live, or other person who has a right to have them evicted or removed from where they live. MORE INFO
If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, call your primary healthcare provider or family doctor right away. They will advise you on steps to take to get tested. If you do not have a family healthcare provider, call the Florida Department of Health hotline in Lake County at 352-268-9299.
The Veterans Services office will be open to public access beginning June 1 by appointment only. Federal Veterans Affairs offices remain closed, which may cause some processing delays. Services are available by phone at (352) 742-6585 and email at [email protected].
The Lake County Veterans Service Office provides information and essential forms online at bit.ly/LC-VeteransServices. For information about compensation and pension benefits, veterans and their families may contact the Department of Veterans Affairs via phone at (800) 827-1000.
Veterans Crisis Line
If you are a Veteran in crisis – or you’re concerned about one – free, confidential support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Veterans Crisis Line is available by phone, text, or chat:
If they have a printer: Get their email so we can email them the forms
If they cannot print or access forms through VA website, they can request paper copies from the 1-800-827-1000. They will also help them do changes such as dependency/direct deposit changes
Compensation:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-4444
Pension:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Pension Intake Center
PO Box 5365
Janesville, WI 53547-5365
It's normal to feel stress and worry during a crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website contains helpful information and resources for coping.
If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others
For updates related to ACCESS, child welfare, child care, mental health services and adult protective services, please visit the DCF COVID-19 update website.
At the request of Governor DeSantis, and in accordance with the federal Families First Coronavirus Act, the Department of Children and Families will waive work requirements for individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
DCF and the Department of Economic Opportunity have partnered to apply good cause statewide for TANF and SNAP recipients normally subject to participate in mandatory work requirements as a condition to receive program benefits effective immediately. The temporary relief of mandatory work requirements will alleviate any undue burden during this public health emergency on individuals normally required to participate in these programs with no disruptions to the receipt of cash and/or food assistance benefits.
To check the status of your benefits, report changes, receive information faster by opting in to receive electronic notifications, and upload documents 24 hours a day 7 days a week, log into your MyACCESS account here: https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/
If you have questions about your benefits and the temporary relief of work requirements during this time, please contact the Department of Children and Families customer center at 850-300-4DCF or visit the website at https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/
The food drive begins on Saturday, March 28 and will remain active until further notice. The hours for making donations will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at the following locations:
North Lake County: First Baptist Church of Umatilla, 550 Hatfield Drive, Umatilla
Central Lake County: Lake County Jail, 551 West Main Street, Tavares (west end)
South Lake County: Real Life Church of Clermont, 1501 Steves Road, Clermont
Items being sought include non-perishable foods such as peanut butter, canned meats, canned meals, snack bars, boxed cereal, canned fruits and canned vegetables, etc. As these items are collected, they will be delivered to local food pantries throughout the county for the immediate distribution to families in need.
What is L.A.S.E.R.?
Lake Support and Emergency Recovery (LASER) is a non-profit, 501c3 organization. LASER offers assistance for Lake County residents that cannot be adequately fulfilled by public agencies. LASER is an extremely important partner in the recovery process. Its case management team provides individualized attention to our residents recovering from disasters.
You are here: 
icon (upper-right corner of the video) to view the COVID-19 playlist containing the latest video updates from Lake County.
