Gov. DeSantis Lifts Coronavirus Restrictions The Day After Florida Had Highest Daily Death Rate In US
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced Friday that he will allow Florida businesses to move to Phase Three of the state’s reopening plan, removing all restrictions because of the pandemic, despite the fact that the state had the highest death rate in the United States the previous day.
Florida bars, restaurants, and other businesses will now operate at full capacity, with a required minimum capacity of 50 percent, despite the fact that the death toll has topped 14,000 and cases continue to rise at an alarming rate. Florida confirmed 2,847 new coronavirus cases on Friday, which pushed the state’s total since March to 695,887.
Other businesses that will open starting Monday include strip clubs, many of which will continue to serve food, bingo parlors, comedy clubs, and auditoriums. The order also prohibits local governments from closing or fining businesses due to mandates related to the pandemic, including mask requirements.
“In the state of Florida we are today moving into what we initially called Phase Three and what that will mean for the restaurants is that there will not be limitations from the state of Florida and in fact were also cognizant about the need for business certainty,” DeSantis told reporters before signing the order.
“There have been some local closures and other types of restrictions, and so are the order that I’m signing today will guarantee restaurants operate, will not allow closures. They can operate at a minimum of 50 percent regardless of local rule and then if a local restricts between 50 and 100 they got to provide the justification and they have to identify what the costs involved with doing that is.”
According to statistics from Johns Hopkins, 179 people died from the coronavirus in Florida on Thursday — more than any other state in the nation. Florida also had 2,541 new cases of the virus on Thursday, which was the third highest state total in the country.
Watch above, via Spectrum News.
