Coronavirus Florida: Bars closed, restaurants and beach gatherings limited, schools closed into April

Mar. 17--------

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Florida leaders took a dizzying series of steps to contain the state's coronavirus outbreak Tuesday, shutting down businesses, extending school closures -- even limiting beach gatherings.

The new orders from state and local officials marked a major escalation in the state's efforts to fight the coronavirus and a deepening disruption in the lives of many Floridians.

Gov. Ron DeSantis closed bars across Florida, ended classroom instruction at universities and colleges for the semester, shuttered K-12 schools until April 15, ordered a limit of 10 people at beach gatherings and restricted restaurant occupancy to 50%.

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The moves came on a day when the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased to 216 and it was revealed that the virus had found its way into a Broward County assisted living facility and killed a 77-year-old man, an ominous development in a state with many frail seniors in such facilities who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by this coronavirus.

Florida health officials also announced Tuesday that an individual died of COVID-19 in Manatee County, bringing the state's death toll from the disease to six.

Initially hesitant to impose mandates on businesses or individuals, DeSantis reversed course Tuesday in dramatic fashion, another sign that the health threat COVID-19 poses to Floridians may require previously unthinkable actions.

Profound disruptions to daily life in Florida are now certain for weeks to come, if not longer, as schools and businesses close for extended periods, large events are canceled and even gathering on the beach is restricted.

Yet the governor still stopped short of the more widespread business closures seen in other states, some of which have shuttered all restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses deemed nonessential. Miami-Dade County, Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, the city of Miami and other Florida municipalities closed a slew of businesses beyond bars and nightclubs Tuesday. Miami-Dade's closures include restaurants, banquet halls, breweries, movie theaters, gyms, auditoriums and bowling alleys.

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The statewide bar and nightclub closures were effective Tuesday at 5 p.m. and will last for at least 30 days.

Restaurants across much of the state can stay open for now, but DeSantis said he is encouraging people to order take-out instead of dining in.

In addition to limiting restaurants to half capacity, DeSantis said seating must be spread out to maintain a six-foot distance between customers. And the governor said restaurant employees must be screened and their entry barred if they give "a positive response to any of the trigger questions in terms of health."

"This is the floor for Florida for the foreseeable future," DeSantis said of the new business restrictions, adding that he supports efforts by local governments to go further.

State officials had announced last week that most K-12 schools would be closed until at least the end of the month, but now they won't reopen until the middle of April at the earliest. The state also won't do end-of-year tests and parents can keep their children in the same grade next year if they wish. Schools are being encouraged to implement online distance learning programs.

"The containment of COVID-19 is essential, and this is not a decision we made lightly," Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said in a press release.

Universities and colleges already had been transitioning to online instruction, but DeSantis made it clear Tuesday that won't be a temporary arrangement. He said he is working with the state Board of Governors, which oversees the university system, to ensure classes will be conducted online for the rest of the semester.

"We think that the universities are equipped to be able to handle the remote learning," DeSantis said.

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Limiting beach gatherings could be especially tricky in a state where lounging on the beach is a cherished activity, and one of the few that still seemed possible in a time of social distancing.

But many people are not keeping their distance on the beach, with images of large spring break crowds going viral over the last few days.

DeSantis said the order to limit crowds on beaches is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for large gatherings issued Monday, which called for groups of no more than 10.

"What we're going to be doing is simply -- for the statewide floor for beaches -- is applying the CDC guidance of no group on a beach more than 10 and you have to have distance apart if you're gonna be out there, so that will apply statewide," DeSantis said.

Public health experts have been urging people to limit social contacts to try to break the chain of infections, leading many officials to look at new restrictions on how and where people gather, including businesses.

There is a push to try to slow the rate of infections enough to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases.

But as the restrictions on businesses increase, so will the negative economic impacts. Florida's economy is heavily dependent on the service sector. Many people are employed in bars, restaurants and other service-related businesses.

That is especially true in Sarasota and Manatee counties, where many businesses cater to tourists and retirees.

With businesses shutting down or seeing steeply declining revenues, the state now seems headed for a major economic downturn.

"This is an external factor that is going to cause problems" in the economy, DeSantis said.

And the restrictions are not expected to prevent a big uptick in the number of coronavirus cases in the short term.

Preparing for a surge in hospital patients, DeSantis announced Tuesday that the state is deploying three field hospitals across the state. A field hospital is being set up in Broward County, currently the biggest hotspot for coronavirus cases in Florida. The two other field hospitals are being staged in Ocala and Orlando and will be deployed wherever needed.

The Florida Department of Health reported 56 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, including two new cases in Manatee County and one in Sarasota County.

That brought Manatee County's total identified cases to seven, and Sarasota County's to four. Sarasota Memorial Hospital was treating four patients as of Tuesday evening who had tested positive for coronavirus.

The death announced Tuesday at the Broward County assisted living facility is especially concerning.

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are highly vulnerable to COVID-19, which disproportionately threatens elderly individuals. More than two dozen deaths have been linked to a nursing home in Washington state.

DeSantis said the man who died in Broward County had "significant underlying" medical problems.

"There is an in investigation underway," DeSantis said. "The Department of Health sent a strike team last evening upon becoming aware of the individual's positive test result and then worked through the night to check on every other member of the facility."

The governor said everyone at the assisted living center has been isolated and is being evaluated. Another death at the facility is being investigated, but coronavirus test results have not come back yet in that case, DeSantis said.

There have been six deaths in Florida caused by COVID-19, and a Florida resident has also died in California.

Before closing bars Tuesday, the most significant restriction DeSantis put on businesses was a ban on visitors at nursing homes, assisted living centers and similar facilities.

The governor said Tuesday that he was rolling out new restrictions on businesses and beach gatherings after listening to guidance from President Donald Trump and the CDC.

Trump announced Monday that Americans should not gather in groups larger than 10, and should not be eating at restaurants, shopping or engaging in leisure travel. The guidance fell short of an official mandate, though.

The Trump administration has deferred to cities and states when it comes to new mandates aimed at containing the virus.

Florida has not gone as far as many other state and local governments. The most aggressive action so far as been in the six counties around San Francisco, which moved Monday toward the type of near total lockdown seen in Italy and China.

Officials in the six counties ordered residents to largely stay in their homes and banned nonessential gatherings and travel, although people still will be permitted to go out for supplies, medical care and walks or exercise.

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