Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he is adding New Orleans and other areas of Louisiana to a list of COVID-19 hotspots, requiring travelers from the state to self-isolate if they come to Florida.
Also, as he continues trying to find ways to combat the spread of the highly contagious and deadly disease, DeSantis said he is suspending vacation rentals in Florida for two weeks.
With New Orleans seeing large numbers of COVID-19 cases, travelers from Louisiana will be treated like people coming to Florida from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, DeSantis said.
To enforce the Louisiana restrictions, DeSantis said he would authorize the Florida Highway Patrol and local enforcement agencies to establish checkpoints at Florida entry areas along roads such as Interstate 10. DeSantis said the restrictions would not affect commercial drivers.
“There is a fear that as New Orleans becomes more of a hotspot, you could have an influx of people into the Florida Panhandle from Louisiana,” DeSantis said.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he doesn’t want his state’s residents on the roads.
“I am encouraging people from Louisiana to stay home,” Edwards told reporters during a news conference. “So I think that it should be a small number of people who are on the road going into Texas or going into Florida. I got my hands full here with responding to this crisis, and I’m not going to second guess or criticize what other governors are doing or not doing.”
Louisiana has had 2,746 confirmed cases and 119 deaths, according to Louisiana health officials. Meanwhile, Florida had 2,900 confirmed cases among residents and visitors as of Friday afternoon. Nationwide, there are 85,356 cases, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
DeSantis on Monday issued an executive order requiring all travelers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to self-isolate for 14 days when they get to Florida. DeSantis issued the order after President Donald Trump refused to limit domestic air travel.
On Friday, DeSantis said his executive order had the intended result of reducing travel between the greater New York City area and Florida, particularly Southeast Florida.
Still, people continue to visit the state after the order, and DeSantis said Friday that officials, working with the Florida National Guard, had screened more than 3,400 travelers from those areas, telling them they have to self-isolate.
“All we are trying to do is keep our residents here safe,” the governor told reporters. “If you’re coming from one of the epicenters, we probably think you should follow the directions of your state and local officials, and if they are telling you to shelter in place, then do that. But don’t come here, because we are trying to protect our folks.”
To further discourage visitors who might carry the virus, DeSantis said he will suspend rental of vacation homes in Florida over the next two weeks. The governor didn’t elaborate on whether that would be in a new executive order or an extension of the Monday order.
“The concern is people in some of these hotspots wanting to then come here. Now is not really the time to do that. So the vacation rentals will be suspended for two weeks. If you’re in one now, then finish and go home,” DeSantis said. “But for any new rentals, there’s going to be a suspension on that. And we appreciate the assistance of people.”
DeSantis also said he was directing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to begin enforcing “social distancing” requirements on Florida’s waterways.
“Many people continue to violate social distancing requirements. You know you need to be in groups of 10 or less. What they are doing is they’re tying all these boats together and then having large group parties,” DeSantis said.”
–Christine Sexton, News Service of Florida
Cindy Welch says
You didn’t protect your older population and let bike week, spring break and Mardi Gras go on because money is more important than lives.
So now your going to blame it on out of state plates. You only have 1300 icu beds in the entire state. Get to work governor
Paula says
I applaud the Governor for taking steps to prevent movement of people into Florida for short-term rentals.
This will slow the progress of the virus, as we know that there can easily be 10 or more people crammed into a single-family home. No social distancing happening there. Then, they will be shopping in the grocery stores to feed large groups of people, spreading the virus if they have it.
It’s an important and vital step to take until this crisis subsides. Unfortunately, it doesn’t affect people checking in today for a week, and it expires in two weeks. So, it really only seems to affect people checking in a week from today (Saturday) for a short-term rental.
Some short-term rental owners are starting to advertise their places as a way to “shelter in place” from the virus in a resort setting. But, remember, they have to get to their destination – perhaps by plane?- and then go out into the community for food and other provisions, and could easily spread the virus. People need to stay HOME (wherever that is) and shelter in place.
Sherry says
Wait a darned minute. . . I still see places to rent all over Florida beginning on sites like AirBNB and VRBO. . . why hasn’t there been any “action” to stop this?
https://www.vrbo.com/search/keywords:florida-usa/arrival:2020-03-29/departure:2020-04-12?petIncluded=false&ssr=true&adultsCount=2
Mark101 says
Agree, In the Hammock and Marineland acres people are coming in daily. New York and Jersey cars at the Publix. Where is the enforcement ?
Nancy says
But still no shelter in place order coming from the govenor for the people from Florida!? Florida has quickly become one of the worst infected states and is soon to be on top the list. Other states will be banning Floridians from coming. Take a look at your own state 1st. Will nobody put orders in place to save Florida from itself!?
Pissed in PC says
Tell that to the vacation house behind me. 2 residents since February and then their friends came in Thursday night bringing the total to at least 6. Not sure if from NY as the house is owned by a couple from Canada. I thought they closed their border? DeSantis needs to quit kissing Trump’s butt and just shutdown the state. 565 new cases since last night, 1 more in Flagler same time frame. https://www.floridadisaster.org/covid19/covid-19-data-reports/ Bookmark it for your future reference.
YO. J. South says
The Sherriff’s Office has closed the beaches in Ocean Hammock. The problem is that the Ocean Hammock Property Owners Association privately owns the dunes and the beaches up to the high tide line, as shown in the Flagler County, FL Property Appraisers Office link shown below. The County has no jurisdiction or legal right in closing privately owned beaches. This is irrational and hysterical overreach on by the County and the Sherriff’s Office.
Traveling down 95 South says
100% agree to the above
Sorry to tell you all
It’s Too Late
Wait, you haven’t seen anything yet
Don’t you all realize that the virus has been spreading uninhibitedly here for over 4 weeks now?
Wait another week or 5
If you really think that removing every single out of state visitor THIS SECOND would help us now.
You are doomed
Trying to shovel $#&*# against the tide has never worked, and it won’t work now
You should focus on being prepared to ISOLATE YOURSELF for weeks
Tell me you haven’t come within 6 ft of another human in the last 4 weeks
The cat was let out of the bag a loooong time ago
The virus is not landing @ Orlando this afternoon
It doesn’t have CT, or NY plates
It would be too easy to isolate if it did
Some here make it seem that it drove down 95 and got off @ Exit 289, and then snuck under your door and into your bedrooms
When you went to work/the gas station/shopping/school/had your hair or nails done 3 weeks ago…
You brought it into your bedroom!
YOU became infected and have been spreading it ever since
Go ahead and blame the invisible
It’s not invisible, it’s here
it’s everywhere
Save the complaints and protect yourself, some of you might still have a chance.
Barbara Kipnis says
Closing the barn door after the horse has been stolen.
FlaglerLive says
The commenter is incorrect. The county’s emergency order extends to all beaches. There are no such things as private beaches in Flagler: customary public use prevails. It’s is in a local ordinance.
Joanie perez says
People just don’t do Airbnb for vacation rentals! We live in Central
Florida. We had a hospital situation just this week with a serious surgery for a family member taking place more than 100 miles away in North Florida. An Airbnb was just what we need for immediate family to stay nearby! We are lucky. We are here now. But the condo we are in is used almost exclusively by people coming to town for medical reasons as it’s near a major medical
center.We couldn’t afford expensive hotel rooms for our family, so Airbnb is perfect! None of the hotels were even near the hospital, like this condo is!! De Santis is a Trump sycophant hopping on the wagon too late , promulgating poorly thought out and unenforceable edicts.
OceanWaves says
FlaglerLive is correct. Wish people stopped trying to be elitists and self entitled.
Arizonian says
Florida has its Joe Arpio!. What it is next? A wall at its borders?.
capt says
I urge the Sheriffs Dept to get in their car and ride up and down the roads in Marineland Acres and along A!A and stop at the homes with of state tags and tell these vacation renters the new directive. Some just laugh.
Enough nonsense already says
Honestly people, what is wrong with you? If you are in fear stay home! The stay home order has been in effect for well over 2 weeks now. There has been no school, no rec activities, etc…
The governor is doing his job. Stop blaming him, it is no truth his fault. It is not Trumps fault.
Want to blame someone blame China. They concealed the gravity of the situation, and have infected the world.
People need to worry about themselves And their families, and stop waiting for someone to take care of you.
We have all known about the virus since January. If you were that scared you should not have participated in bike week, spring break, (name activity), etc..
Stay home and you won’t get sick.
If you are sick, stay home and don’t get anyone else sick.
Simple folks, grow up!
Anthony says
So no to short term rentals, but yes to Hotels. How is that even Legal?
Hammock Observer says
You do know that there are cars with NY and NJ plates that belong to people who have been in this area since the weather turned cold up north last fall.
Hammock Observer says
There are about 20 or 25 counties in the Panhandle and north central FL with zero cases or with less than 3 in the county. Should they be forced to shelter in place with zero known cases within 50 miles?
DB Cooper says
At least with all the death coming to Flagler County development will cease. Embrace the suck boomers!!!
mark101 says
Yep, but these are renters, 2 on one road that I live on. One got here Early Sat morn.
YO. J. South says
The Flagler County Property Appraiser’s Website clearly shows the Ocean Hammock POA owns the dunes and beach adjacent to the community down to the high tide line. So does the deed of record for the property. This is the reason the County had to get permission from the OHPOA in order to implement the dune restoration and could not move forward without that permission over our stretch of the beach. The same is true in Hammock Dunes.
It is true that the beach below the high tide line is public property, but not the entire beach, contrary to your erroneous assertion. Try checking the deed records for the property.
Lisa says
Should be Mandatory quarantine not a causal self isolate. Should be checking flights which they aren’t and check points on I 95 and every other place and put them a self paid lock down. But that won’t happen. Frustrated and we are the ones being told we are not observing social distancing or volunteering to stay home. Give me a break. Where’s all the supplies and tests we need? More gum flapping.