Florida is the only state in the nation with 5000 or more coronavirus cases that does not have a stay at home order. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who refused to shut down the state's beaches in an effort to grab spring break cash from college students, has been under growing pressure to issue the executive order.
He finally has – although it is far more limited than those in other states.
The stay at home order will be state-wide, and will go into effect Thursday at midnight, lasting for 30 days. It is focused on "individuals, and it is not telling non-essential businesses to shut down entirely. He says those businesses can still make deliveries or things of that nature, but people cannot congregate in the business itself," WCTV reports.
DeSantis, who is closely tied to President Donald Trump, claimed he had not issued the order because Trump had not instructed him to do so.
"On Tuesday, DeSantis said at a news conference that he had no plans to issue a statewide order because the White House had not told him to do so," The Washington Post reported.
Also Tuesday, President Donald Trump called DeSantis “a great governor who knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Florida is home to huge numbers of people, including seniors, who are at extreme risk of death from coronavirus.
Knowing the state's electoral college votes could determine the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Trump has paid special attention to Florida and its new GOP governor. The Trump administration has ensured that Florida, unlike many blue states, has received all of its requested medical equipment and supplies, including PPE.
There are currently 7000 coronavirus cases in the Sunshine State, 900 people have been hospitalized, and 86 have died.
One attorney says his lawsuit against DeSantis to shut down the state did the trick:
keep fighting until the state in its entirety is closed.— Daniel Uhlfelder (@Daniel Uhlfelder) 1585762953.0
On social media many are furious. DeSantis is being called "a flailing, derelict governor."
difficult to exaggerate the extent of desantis' failure here. a flailing, derelict governor who doesn't know what t… https://t.co/RraGk2t9LB— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1585752612.0
It is about time @RonDeSantisFL that you are issuing stay-at-home order for entire state of Florida. Sadly, it may… https://t.co/0EcBwsdaCs— Fred Guttenberg (@Fred Guttenberg) 1585762076.0
It's a staggering, cowardly failure in leadership that it took @GovRonDeSantis this long to do the obvious thing. T… https://t.co/Y6C9Ltir8H— Tommy Vietor (@Tommy Vietor) 1585762900.0
Two weeks after the horse escaped and got on a plane back to the Midwest, Governor DeSantis is closing the barn doo… https://t.co/UXEl1YqWO8— Dr. emptywheel (@Dr. emptywheel) 1585762993.0
How many people will die because Ron Desantis is a coward? https://t.co/hfXZ813kaj— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@Molly Jong-Fast🏡) 1585763211.0
Ron DeSantis is only know ordering Florida to stay at home, weeks later than experts suggested. Sadly, I think… https://t.co/C02M4HhAzK— Brian O'Sullivan (@Brian O'Sullivan) 1585762536.0
details on what desantis was doing in his first year in office https://t.co/ADMg5Lb5zD https://t.co/EsldLNupul— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1585752702.0
