TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – With the number of coronavirus cases pushing past 190 in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued sweeping new restrictions Tuesday to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Starting at 5 p.m., all bars and nightclubs in Florida must close for 30 days. Restaurants must limit capacity to 50%, and all restaurant employees must be screened for the virus, DeSantis said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We view that as something that could be problematic for spreading the virus. Stealth carriers — people who don’t have symptoms — but they are nevertheless passing along,” he said.
The governor is still leaving the closure of beaches up to local governments, but said Florida has banned gatherings of larger than 10 people on beaches. It’s unclear exactly how that will be enforced.
DeSantis also announced Florida’s sixth death from the coronavirus, a nursing home patient in Broward County. He also said four University of Florida students had tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of cases to 192, and used the press conference to call for remote learning at all Florida universities.
According to the Florida Department of Health, the state is currently monitoring more than 500 people for the virus.
For more information on coronavirus in Florida, visit the health department’s COVID-19 webpage or the live DOH Dashboard here.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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