- April 24, 2024
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Florida is planning to suspend vacation rentals, require travelers entering the state from Louisiana to self-isolate, and set up checkpoints in the Panhandle to stop Louisiana travelers and inform them of the isolation order Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference March 27.
The state's 14-day quarantine order for travelers coming from New York to Florida has been working, and the state has since screened 3,400 travelers, DeSantis said.
"Because we have put in the 14-day self-isolation requirement, you have seen a dramatic reduction in air traffic from the New York City area to the state of Florida, particularly the number of passengers that are on a lot of these aircraft," he said. Texas has since implemented a similar measure, he said.
After the New York order passed, there was interest from residents of the Panhandle in passing something similar to prevent large numbers of people from Louisiana, which also has a high number of cases, from coming to Florida, DeSantis said.
"There's a fear that as New Orleans becomes more of a hot spot, that you could have an influx of people in the Florida Panhandle from Louisiana, so I will be adding to my New York executive order," he said. "We will be requiring the same for travelers from New Orleans, Louisiana and other parts of Louisiana to self-isolate for 14 days."
The roadway checkpoints, which would be set up on Interstate 10 and other areas, would not apply to commercial traffic.
The state will also be suspending vacation rentals: People currently staying in one can finish their stay, but must then return home.
"Again, the concern is people in some of these hot spots wanting to then come here," DeSantis said. "Now's not really the time to do that, so the vacation rentals will be suspended for two weeks.
Florida is increasing its testing capacity, sending kits of 1,000 swabs to Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Hillsborough County, DeSantis said.
"One of our main priorities has been to expand testing in the state of Florida," he said. "And if you look at our numbers, you're now seeing many, many more tests than were done just a week and a half ago."
The state has been ordering more collection swabs and other medical supplies, he said, and, "As soon as we get them, we push them out."
Palm Beach County has not had nearly as many tests conducted as the Miami-Dade and Broward, he said, and the state will be sending National Guard units to assist in setting up mobile testing facilities there. "I think it's important to expand the testing there, so that we can get a better sense of what's going on," he said.
As more positive test results come in, he said, "It's important to look at that against the backdrop of a really serious increase in testing. ... Some of this is just identifying what may have already been out there, but I think it's the right thing to do, and we're able to get a better handle on exactly how much this has spread in various communities."
The state is seeking options for labs with increased testing capacity, he said.
The state is also monitoring its number of hospital beds, and has also ordered more masks, which are being delivered in the hundreds of thousands, he said.
As counties and cities have closed breaches and recreation areas, or limited the size of crowds to a maximum of 10 people to comply with Centers for Disease Control recommendations, some Floridians and visitors have tried to get around the rules by holding parties on the water.
"We've received reports from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, local governments, that many people continue to violate social distancing requirements," DeSantis said. "What they're doing is they're tying all these boats together and then having large group parties."
DeSantis is directing FWC to enforce social distancing on the waterways. "We can't be having these large crowds," he said.
Florida has lifted some requirements for filing for unemployment, but the AFL-CIO union has pressed the state to do more. DeSantis said he hadn't yet read the union's request, but will, and would be open to considering additional changes.
"A lot of low and moderate wage employees have really suffered a lot, and we don't want to compound that," he said. "And so if there are things that I can do to make it more streamlined, dispense with them having to search for additional jobs when the jobs just aren't there, so that they can get relief in their pockets, then we want to do that," DeSantis said.
DeSantis has also supported a moratorium on evictions. The state's Supreme Court issued an administartive order limiting court functions to the essentials, but, DeSantis said, "If that's not clear and I need to do something, then I’ll certainly take a look at it."
Florida's Department of Children and Families is also increasing the cap on SNAP benefits in the state to the maximum allotment, from $449 per month for a family of four, to $509 for a family of four, DeSantis said.
