Tourism dollars from the historic St. Augustine area help Florida’s St. Johns Count fund its schools, roads, and bridges. So when the CCP virus shut down the tourism industry in the United States and the world, the county faced the prospect of a devastating hit to its budget. Instead, the opposite happened all thanks to the city’s proactive measures. So what can businesses do to survive, even thrive, during a pandemic? Irving Kass, the owner of St. George Inn and Suites, said they had to renovate and reinvent. “I know it goes against every business model to renovate and spend money during a shutdown,” he said. “Everyone thought I was crazy. But it worked.” Kass said that St. Augustine was once known as a place that you “came in fourth grade to learn about the history.” Founded in 1565 by Spaniard Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, St. Augustine is the …