TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has outlined Phase I of the state’s plan to slowly start reopening. Phase I, which will be enacted tomorrow, includes allowing retailers and restaurants to reopen, though they’re advised to operate at 25 percent capacity to comply with social distancing protocols. Schools will continue to do online learning. Visiting senior living facilities will still be prohibited. Gyms, bars and personal services such as hair salons will also remain closed.
To help with testing demand, the state will open five more drive-thru testing sites, bringing the total number of state-supported sites to 13. The new testing sites will be in Broward, Escambia, Lee, Sarasota/Manatee and Miami-Dade counties. The governor’s office reports that to date, the testing sites have conducted 88,000 tests.
The governor’s office sought advice from several organizations and those in leadership roles to roll out the parameters, including speaking with healthcare system executives, elected officials, law enforcement, small business owners and unemployed residents.