Florida to Start Reopening on Monday With Restaurants, Retail
Florida to Start Reopening on Monday May 4, Governor Says
(Bloomberg) -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plans to start reopening the state on Monday, allowing restaurants and retail in most areas to resume business with certain limitations to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Speaking Wednesday in Tallahassee, DeSantis said movie theaters and bars will remain closed for the time being throughout the state, and schools will continue to use distance learning.
The reopening plans aren’t uniform across the state of 21.5 million people. DeSantis said the first phase of reopening would exclude the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, the state’s three most populous.
Florida has 67 counties, but those three account for 59% of its 33,193 confirmed coronavirus cases. DeSantis in part blamed the Miami metropolitan area’s ties to New York for the relative prevalence of the virus there.
DeSantis, a Republican, made the announcement after meeting with President Donald Trump Tuesday at the White House.
Florida’s popularity among retirees theoretically makes it one of America’s most vulnerable states, and the governor faced scathing criticism for waiting to issue a stay-at-home order as spring break raged.
As of Wednesday, 1,218 Florida residents have died of the virus, but DeSantis said policies such as strict restrictions at assisted-living facilities helped prevent a far worse outcome.
Starting on Monday, retail and restaurants can have customers at 25% of indoor capacity, and elective surgeries can resume.
Part of the reopening strategy entails expanding walk-up and drive-up testing sites across the state. The state is also adding a mobile laboratory to aid in testing.
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