![]() ![]() He insisted then that a statewide stay-home order was unnecessary because the bulk of the cases, and the testing, has been in South Florida. Why now?ĭeSantis did not arrive at this decision easily.Īs recently as Tuesday, DeSantis told reporters that nobody from the White House had recommended that he make a statewide order. Tolbert said keeping churches and synagogues open “could lead to greater exposure" of the coronavirus. Sheriff Chad Chronister came under fire from the Hillsborough County GOP for making the arrest. Beaches, which have drawn national attention for teeming with spring breakers, remain open.Īnd DeSantis would allow people to attend religious services, a loophole that will be closely watched in Hillsborough County, where Tampa megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested for holding two large Sunday services in defiance of a local emergency order. There are also exemptions in the order for recreational activities like biking, running, fishing or hunting (if following social distancing guidelines), taking care of a pet or caring for a loved one or friend. Joe Collier, the president of hotel operator Mainsail Lodging and Development, said shutting down hotels would “require us to basically evict people and put them on the street.” Hotels will be allowed to operate, though many have already closed because of low occupancy. Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce president and chief Bob Rorhlack called the governor’s orders "hard medicine, but it’s something that’s got to be done.” The coronavirus outbreak has taken a sledgehammer to Florida businesses, crushing the state’s tourism industry and nearly every other sector of the economy. Said Clearwater City Manager Bill Horne: "I didn’t see anything in there that overrode what the county has established.”īusinesses, workers and residents in counties like Pasco and Hernando, which rejected local crackdowns, will likely experience far greater disruptions in every day life than those already living under safer-at-home restrictions. ![]() Other local officials didn’t expect much change in day-to-day life in the Tampa Bay area under the new orders. ![]() Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton said he was advised non-essential businesses would shutter, but was awaiting more definitive answers. ![]()
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