Pharmacies. Grocery stores. Financial institutions. The WWE.
At a press conference today, Jerry Demings, the mayor of Orange County, Florida, confirmed that the state has declared the WWE an essential service.
“There were not initially deemed an essential business. With some conversation with the Governor’s office regarding the Governor’s order, they were deemed an essential business and so they were allowed to remain open,” he said in a press conference.
Demings did not explain why the WWE was viewed the same as grocery stores and pharmacies.
On April 1st, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a lockdown for 30 days and only essential businesses were permitted to remain open. The lockdown was initiated a month after Florida had their first case of COVID-19.
The declaration stated directed “all Floridians to limit movements and personal interactions outside the home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or essential activities.”
The WWE explained their decision in a statement to ESPN.
“We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times. We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance,” said the WWE.
Pro Wrestling Sheet reported one of the WWE’s off-camera employees was diagnosed with COVID-19 but has since recovered.
