UPDATED: WWE Deemed ‘Essential Business’ By State of Florida, Memo Outlining Essential Businesses Revealed

UPDATED: The official memo that resulted in WWE being classified as an essential business in the state of Florida has been revealed. As noted, the Florida Governor’s office has deemed WWE to be an essential business and thus able to operate during the state’s “stay at home” decree.

ESPN reports that the classification is the result of a memo issued by state coordinating officer Jared Moskowitz, which lists the following among those classified as essential businesses:

“3. Employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience — including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production — only if the location is closed to the general public.”

As WWE is operating out of the Performance Center, which is not open to the public, they are thus able to continue running shows.

ORIGINAL: If you were hoping that Florida’s stay-at-home order would force WWE to shut down, guess again; the company has been deemed an “essential business.” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings confirmed during a press conference today, as you can see in video below by photographer Harry Aaron, Demmings confirmed that the Florida Governor’s office deemed WWE an essential business which allows them to operate.

Demmings said, “I think initially there was — a review that was done and they were not initially deemed an an essential business. With some conversation with the governor’s office regarding the governor’s order, they were deemed an essential business. And so therefore, they were allowed to remain open.”

Asked about the employee who tested positive for COVID-19, Demmings said, “In terms of the specifics associated with the wrestler or personality who tested positive, I don’t know any of the details of that obviously, because of HIPPA laws, et cetera. I don’t know that. But you know, that’s like a little family, a small family of professional athletes that wrestle. And if one of my family members tested positive in my house, that would be concerning to me. We would have to make provisions in my house to make sure that the rest of us not get infected. And so I would assume that from a business perspective, the WWE is doing that type of analysis of its own family.”

WWE is set to hold Raw live tonight from the WWE Performance Center.

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