
Undoubtably, it’s an unsettling time with the COVID-19 pandemic and the scary feeling of not knowing what is coming next. To all of our moms, to all of our readers, you are NOT ALONE! We are all feeling many of the same feelings, and have so many questions. Although we cannot provide you with many of the answers we all would like to know, we can do our best to continue providing you with the resources, latest up-to-date information, and activities to keep you and the kiddos busy (and sane!) during this uncertain time.
Now, more than ever, it is so important to support our local businesses, in whatever ways we can given the current climate and restrictions. If you know of a local business providing some kind of service that our readers should know about (whether it’s virtual healthcare, meal deliveries, etc ) please email us at [email protected]. If we are missing something, please let us know and we’ll add it in here! Thank you so much to our City Mom Collective sister sites whose valuable articles have also been included in this guide.
*Please note that this will be an ever-changing resource. While we make every effort to crosscheck current links and details, we always encourage you to do the same. If details are missing or incorrect, please let us know so that we can correct them. Please check back for the most up-to-date information.
FOR THE KIDS (EDUCATION, ACTIVITIES, & ENTERTAINMENT)
Having the kiddos at home for an unknown period of time can bring some anticipation and worry. How will we keep them entertained for days on end? What can we do to keep learning happeing outside of the classroom? We’ve compiled a variety of resources from the Tampa Bay Moms site, as well as various other helpful articles that we’ve found. Click on the images below to head straight to the resource!
*While some information may not be relevant given the current preacations and advisories, we’ve included these articles because there are still good activities you can do while at home!
FOR PARENTS (SELF-CARE, EASY MEALS, & STAYING HEALTHY)
As moms, we’ve got little eyes on us all the time. During this stressful time, it’s important to remember to take care of ourselves too. We’ve included some tips for self-care, as well as simple meals to make at home, natural ways to boost immunity, and more!
LOCAL & FEDERAL RESOURCES
Staying up-to-date with your trusted local and federal resources is so important with the rapid rate at which things are changing. We encourage you to check these resources regularly and please let us know if you see any information that needs to be added by emailing [email protected]
REAL-TIME DASHBOARD UPDATES BY COUNTY
Check out this link to get real-time updates on number of cases by county
SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS & CHANGES:
All public K -12 schools will be closed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
- Citrus County Schools
- Hernando County Schools
- Hillsborough County Schools
- Pasco County Schools
- Pinellas County Schools
- Polk County Schools
PRIVATE SCHOOL CHANGES:
- Jesuit High School will begin virtual classes starting on Wednesday, March 18, and continuing until the end of the school year.
- Academy of the Holy Names will begin virtual classes starting on Wednesday, March 18, and continuing until the end of the school year.
- Tampa Prep will remain closed through March 30. They will communicate about online instruction beginning Tuesday, March 24th.
- Academy at the Lakes will activate their e-learning plan and conduct school remotely for the initial two-week period of March 16 – March 29, 2020. During that second week of “virtual school,” they will assess and communicate the viability of a return to in-person gatherings on Monday, March 30 for the week of school prior to our scheduled spring break (Saturday, April 4, through Monday, April 13).
CLOSURES, CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS:
Below is a list of Tampa Bay Businesses, Events & Activities that have been canceled, postponed, or rescheduled. We’ll continue to update this list as news comes in.
BUSINESS CLOSURES & CHANGES:
- Publix will be closing at 8 pm each evening, to give employees time to restock produce and sanitize shelves.
- Wal-Mart will have new hours, its retail stores and Neighborhood Markets will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until further notice.
- During this time, Duke Energy, TECO will not disconnect members for nonpayment. You are still responsible for paying your bill, but they are offering this leniency so members do not have to worry about losing vital services during their time of need.
- All Tampa Bay area YMCA locations will close effective Tuesday, March 17 at 9 pm through Sunday, March 29.
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park will be temporarily closed starting Monday, March 16th through Sunday, March 29th.
- The Clearwater Aquarium tentatively plans to re-open to the public on March 27.
- Florida Aquarium is closed through March 29th.
- Busch Gardens and Adventure Island are closed through the end of the month.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT BUSINESSES ARE OFFERING:
- Hatcher Family Therapy will be setting up her practice to provide online/video counseling.
- Corepower Yoga will be offering free yoga on demand for anyone.
- The Works will be offering streaming classes free for a limited time.
- Sweetgrass Counseling will be offering video counseling.
- Sculpted Lotus Yoga will be holding classes online only.
- Force Dance Academy will have free streaming ballet classes for ages 3-18 starting 3/18.
- The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will have a Home Safari Facebook Live each weekday at 3pm where they will highlight one of their amazing animals and include an activity you can do from home. Join them starting Monday, March 16 at 3pm for the first Home Safari- featuring Fiona!