Florida reopens state’s economy despite virus

TALLAHASSEE, Fla, Sept 26, (AP): Gov Ron DeSantis lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in Florida on Friday, and banned local fines against people who refuse to wear masks as he seeks to reopen the state’s economy despite the spread of the coronavirus.

The Republican governor’s order unleashed fresh debate in the politically divided state, where pandemic responses have become intertwined with the upcoming presidential election. DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, acknowledged that the pandemic is far from over, but he said the threat has eased and the time has come to reopen for business after six months of “people twisting in the wind.”

The governor’s announcement Friday allows restaurants across the state to immediately reopen at full capacity – and prevents cities and counties from ordering them to close or operate at less than half-capacity, unless they can justify a closure for economic or health reasons.

“We’re not closing anything going forward,” DeSantis said, while insisting that the state is prepared if infections increase again.

The governor, however, allowed local governments to limit bars to 50% capacity, but added that he was “not going to stand in the way” of allowing them to fully reopen.

As part of his reopening plan, the governor barred cities and counties from collecting fines on people who violate social distancing rules or don’t wear face masks. The governor’s order virtually nullifies local ordinances put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

“I think we need to get away from trying to penalize people for not social distancing and work with people constructively,” DeSantis said.

Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen as hasty.

“No one is advocating for a fullscale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen Audrey Gibson said Thursday.

Some local officials appealed to the governor for continued authority to control the outbreak.

“We’re hoping that the governor will allow us to have deeper restrictions than the rest of the state. We have a greater spread of the virus in South Florida than other parts of the state,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness told WLRN, a public radio station in Miami.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a statement Friday that DeSantis’ order allows him to continue restricting restaurants to half their capacity. But he acknowledged the county will no longer fine people for not wearing masks.

Gimenez said he was consulting with the county attorney regarding the mask mandate at businesses to ensure compliance with the new order.

Florida has long been a COVID-19 hotspot, with nearly 700,000 confirmed virus cases since the pandemic began in March. Nearly 14,000 Floridians have died.

The governor reluctantly closed bars and nightclubs on St Patrick’s Day due to the outbreak, and days later, restricted restaurants to takeout dining. Amusement parks ground to a halt.

The closures battered the economy, leaving hundreds of thousands of Floridians unemployed. Since March 15, More than 2.5 million Floridians have sought unemployment benefits.

DeSantis slowly reopened the state for business since then, allowing restaurants and bars to reopen at half capacity, while deferring to local officials who advocated reopening more slowly in the pandemic’s epicenters in South Florida.

“We’ve been able to put a lot of people back to work over the last few months, and obviously we have more to do,” the governor said.