Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will announce Friday additional “phase one” measures to reopen the state’s economy, with the moves expected to include allowing more people to be seated in restaurants and allowing gyms to operate.
DeSantis gave a stay-tuned comment Thursday after adding Miami-Dade and Broward to the rest of the counties in the state that have started taking initial steps to recover from economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
He signaled that allowing people to work out in gyms will be one of the changes.
“This is a virus that, if you’re in good shape, you’re probably going to be OK. So, why would we want to dissuade people from going to be in shape?” DeSantis said during a news conference in Doral.
DeSantis has been prompting people throughout the pandemic to go outside for a walk, a run, a bike ride and to even play golf.
“It’s like 90-plus percent of the folks under 65 that have had fatalities have had serious conditions, and many of that has been tied to obesity,” DeSantis said.
The first phase of DeSantis’ economic recovery plan started May 4 in all but Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which have the largest numbers of coronavirus cases in the state. The first phase included allowing restaurants and retail outlets that had closed because of the virus to reopen with 25 percent indoor occupancy.
DeSantis later added Palm Beach County to the phase-one list of counties and allowed barber shops and salons to operate with a list of restrictions for customers and workers.
Any additions to DeSantis’ first phase would begin Monday, when Miami-Dade and Broward will be allowed to join the other counties.
“I think the data and the facts are very clear that Southeast Florida, even though they had to face the most significant epidemic in the state of Florida, they flattened the curve,” DeSantis said, drawing distant cheers during a news conference in the middle of Northwest 53rd Street in downtown Doral. “Their hospitals were never overwhelmed. In fact, they had a lot of space throughout most of this period. And they are ready to move to phase one.”
DeSantis said he doesn’t expect the reopening efforts to be hampered by future localized outbreaks of the virus.
“I’m not going to be sitting here rolling back the entire state if there’s an outbreak in, say, Hialeah or something,” DeSantis said. “These are going to be local things, and they’re going to have to deal with that. But the state of Florida, we have so many places where the caseload is so low, and, really, outside of prisons and nursing homes we’re seeing very few cases.”
The Florida Department of Health on Thursday reported that the state had increases of 808 cases and 48 deaths from Wednesday counts, with 38 of the deaths tied to long-term care facilities.
The numbers brought Florida to 43,210 total cases and 1,875 deaths.
DeSantis’ first phase of the recovery effort loosely follows recommendations from the White House and a DeSantis-created task force on reopening the state. The first phase hasn’t included opening bars, movie theaters, breweries, playhouses, bowling alleys, gyms, tattoo shops and massage parlors.
Miami-Dade and Broward presented reopening guidelines to DeSantis this week and came with assistance from the Florida Department of Health, Jackson Health System, the medical schools at Florida International University and the University of Miami, and the Florida League of Cities. The guidelines include physical distancing, specified cleaning, personal-protective equipment use and increased testing for the virus.
Part of the Miami-Dade plan is to bring restaurant indoor capacity to 50 percent. DeSantis said his announcement Friday should closely follow the proposals from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
“We will fully institute contact tracing to avoid the development of any new COVID hotspots and will shut down any businesses that don’t comply with the new rules and our new normal,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said, referring to COVID-19, the deadly respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
The guidelines for the two counties match up in most places. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said beaches in both counties will remain closed, with the intention of reopening them together at a later date.
“We agreed that it’s best that we do it together as a region,” Holness said. “If we open one section of the beach and the others are not there, we’ll have the crowds and be back to where we were, not where we want to be.”
–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida
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mark191 says
Typical clueless. They are just in it for the $$$.
Well... says
DeSantis is Trump’s mini-me and he’s full of crap just like his master. Once he fully dislodges himself from Trump’s backside maybe we will see what he’s capable of but until then, just another Trumper drinking the Clorox. There have been plenty of people that have been very sick and died with no underlying health conditions. They latched onto a series of reports from early on and took those as gospel refusing to modify based on new data. Well, why don’t we all just throw caution to the wind and say WGAF anymore. Just do whatever the hell you want, I mean you’re just gonna anyway so why try. It’s too exhausting anymore. You do what you want and I’ll do what I want. Don’t infringe on my right to protect myself and I will not infringe on yours to contract COVID. Mmmkay? K.
JOA says
DeSantis is not an MD. He is not a scientist. He is a Trumpist who sold his soul last visit to DC and has further taken on the trump persona along with all the misinformation, manipulation, outright lies, and maneuvering that go along with it.
Oh, BTW, there is no contact tracing going on here.
So sick of politicians not listening to and vilifying Science in the name of money. Sick of their lying words and faces. They care about re-election Not humanity. It is evil. God help us.
Brian says
Thank you Governor DeSantis! We are fortunate to have one of, if not, the best governors in the country – especially considering what we would have been dealing with had he lost.
Willy Boy says
If our gyms, tattoo parlors, and eateries are the essential underbelly of our economy, then we are doomed.
Shark says
I guess t-rump got to him so he could start his 3 million (taxpayer dollar) weekend vacations in Florida !!!
Marlee says
“Florida Man”
Former Coronavirus Skeptic Warns Others To Take Pandemic Seriously After Infection
Brian Lee Hitchens said he used to believe COVID-19 was a “fake crisis.” Now he’s imploring people to listen to the experts.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-man-brian-hitchens-coronavirus-warning_n_5ebdc05ac5b66da6b7d5754f
Honest Truth says
DeSantis is just following Trump ignoring the medical professionals that are saying it still isn’t safe without more testing. The Republican party just wants to get the economy going thinking that will help their re-elections.
So, they will most likely hide the real statistics from the public but follow the medical professionals’ advice and not the politicians that only care about themselves and not human lives.
We all observed the White House not practicing social distancing or wearing masks, so now the virus is spreading in the West Wing.
Donald Trump has never been one to speak the truth, he only cares about himself and ignores the death rate that continues to climb.
Statistics will tell the truth, not DeSantis or Trump. So when the virus really hits Florida we can then blame DeSantis and Trump.
Sherry says
“IF” we could completely TRUST our fellow citizens, business owners, and government to truly care for us and put our health and lives FIRST, we would feel confident enough to enjoy the many privileges we have been blessed with. Unfortunately, we have too many. . . non-mask wearing. . . selfish, angry (and proud of it) people in this area to literally put our health and lives in their hands. We will continue to use our intellect, do our own research for expert medical advice, and live accordingly.
Those of you who still believe “lord trump” will protect you and only allow those old black people to suffer and die. . . enjoy your fantasy reality where you’ll live in the “all white” Mar-a-Lago bubble. IDIOTS!
Wendy says
Florida it is detremental that YOU DO NOT TRUST YOUR GOVERMENT AND LEADERSHIP! You have a govenor that is not following the cdc recemandations and putting all ths kids at risk. Has anyone else seen that younger kids are dying and falling ill to something they can not determine,something related to coronavirus!
Flatsflyer says
Why didn’t the opening require Restruant Inspections? Most places that have been closed for several months will probably have more cock roaches than customers!