DeSantis lifts youth activity restrictions
Governor says it’s time to let the children go out and play
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday lifted all restrictions on youth activities, including athletics and summer camps, effective immediately, saying it was time to let children go out and play if their parents approve.
“We believe this makes sense based on the data,” he said, as he cited statistics indicating that the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected senior citizens. “We trust parents to be able to make decisions in conjunction with physicians and community leaders and coaches.”
The governor said he would leave up to local authorities any specific requirements such as whether children should wear masks.
“We are not going to be instituting a lot of rules, or really any rules,” he said, adding that the Department of Health would post a Frequently Asked Questions file on its website to provide some guidance.
He said ultimately it was parents who would decide whether their children go to a camp or play a sport this summer.
“If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, don’t do it, and that’s fine,” he said at a news conference in Jacksonville.
But DeSantis said he thought it was time to let children get some exercise after weeks of being cooped up at home with their families because of the pandemic.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry added, “I think it’s important that we let kids be kids.”
Any youth sports leagues and summer camps that reopen should follow “strict precautions” such as temperature checks, hand-washing, and possibly wearing masks and social distancing, said Dr. Bonnie White, a pediatrician with Ascension Medical Group who also appeared at Friday’s briefing.
White, who treats DeSantis’ children, emphasized the emotional toll of social isolation on children, saying her practice has seen an uptick in young patients with anxiety and depression.
“It’s really important that we get our kids socializing again,” White said. “They need to see their friends; they need to be outside running around and being active.”
White also urged parents to
make sure their children continue to receive scheduled vaccines to ward off a resurgence in measles.
Florida has a growing number of children with a COVID-19 related illness, but how long it has been attacking children and the number of pediatric patients who have been treated remains a mystery.
Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville has two patients with confirmed cases of MIS-C, the News Service of Florida reported.
White said at Friday’s briefing that she hadn’t known about those cases but that the syndrome is “very rare” in children.
DeSantis said “it’s something parents should consider” but that the Cleveland Clinic cited only “a couple of cases” of the illness. Earlier in the briefing, DeSantis said the state has seen no reported coronavirus deaths among anyone younger than 25. He said most of the deaths were occurring in people over the age of 90.
Florida never closed daycare centers, despite recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do so. DeSantis said the state never saw a big problem as a result and that this was one of the factors contributing to his decision to lift the restrictions on youth activities.
Friday’s briefing took place as the Florida Department of Health announced 46 new reported fatalities, bringing the death toll to 2,190.
In Central Florida, the Orlando Science Center said it would hold summer camps June 1 through Aug. 7 both onsite and online for families who want their children to stay home.
“As many return to work, caregivers are in need of quality child care options, but also want to ensure it’s a safe, educational and enjoyable experience for their children,” CEO JoAnn Newman said in an email sent by a spokesman.
Precautions will be in place, including campers and staff wearing masks, temperature checks on staff and children each day and social distancing measures such as staggered drop-off and pickup.