All employees at Orlando International Airport must wear face masks as COVID-19 cases spike across Florida

As coronavirus cases in Florida continue to rise, the Orlando International Airport will require all employees to wear face masks, they announced on Wednesday.

Cases of COVID-19 statewide are spiking, as 11,748 new cases have been reported by the Florida Department of Health in the last five days.

On Wednesday, officials at the Orlando International Airport put a new safety policy in place to help keep both travelers and employees safe, especially as more people begin to travel. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) said that all 22,000 badged airport employees must wear facial coverings inside airport public areas.

“We continue to update our protocols to reflect the concerns of the community and inspire confidence among the traveling public,” said Phil Brown, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “This new policy adds an extra layer of protection by encouraging procedures for our employees and confidence to the users of the airport that we are serious about promoting social distancing and personal hygiene.”

MORE NEWS: Younger Floridians testing positive for COVID-19 at higher rate, officials worried about spike

Badged personnel reportedly must also maintain social distancing.

GETTY OIA

Photo by Getty Images

Last week, the Orlando International Airport performed 500 coronavirus tests on employees over three days. Only two of them have come back positive. Since mid-March, 132 airport employees have tested positive out of the over 25,000 employees that work at the airport.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest coronavirus news.