After a month of Florida’s “safer at home” order, the Governor has announced a step by step plan for Florida’s recovery. The Re-Open Florida Task Force has worked closely with physicians, health care executives, small business owners, law enforcement, elected officials and others while creating and outlining the guidelines for reopening the state.
The Plan
The initial Phase 1 is set to go into effect on Monday, May 4th. While social distancing will remain in place, the plan is to increase testing, prevent the spread from non-Florida residents and continue to protect those individuals who are most vulnerable. During Phase 1 elective surgeries may resume, and restaurants can open their doors again if indoor seating is at 25% capacity and outdoor dining tables are six foot apart. Bars, gyms, salons, and schools will remain closed.
Testing
Florida will open five more drive thru testing sites this coming week, including sites in these counties: Broward, Escambia, Lee, Sarasota/Manatee, and Miami-Dade. In total Florida will have 13 state-supported drive thru sites. To date, the sites have tested approximately 88,000 individuals. Additionally, Florida will have a mobile lab for testing homebound, homeless, and underserved communities.
Next Steps
The Re-Open Florida Task Force will continue to closely monitor the positivity rates for COVID-19 as they consider moving to the next phase in the reopening process. They will ensure that hospitals have the available capacity to treat COVID-19 patients should there be a surge of cases. Throughout the step by step plan, the top priority is maintaining the health and safety of all Floridians.