Florida – Page 2 – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

April 2, 2020September 2, 2020 by Duane Morris

Florida Governor Issues Statewide Order Restricting Activities Outside the Home

State and local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be changing by the day. Case in point: On March 30, Florida’s governor issued a stay-at-home order of sorts, but only for four counties in South Florida. On April 1, though, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-91, the most sweeping, statewide edict concerning Florida’s response to COVID-19 to date.

Though comprehensive in terms of geographical scope, the extent to which the order will fully yield the benefits of a true “stay-at-home” order remains to be seen, since it does not order all Florida residents to actually stay home or “shelter in place.” Instead, Executive Order No. 20-91 mandates that “all persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.” (Emphasis added.)

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

March 31, 2020August 31, 2020 by Duane Morris

Florida Governor Issues Stay-at-Home Order—But Only for Southeast Florida

On March 30, 2020, the Office of the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order 20-89, the most recent step taken by Governor Ron DeSantis to deal with the spread of COVID-19 throughout Florida. The order essentially directs the counties comprising South Florida (and neighboring Monroe County) to restrict public access to nonessential businesses and facilities until at least April 15, 2020. While other states adopting “stay-at-home” orders have done so on a statewide basis, this order is limited to four counties in southeast Florida. Despite calls for the governor of the country’s third-most populous state to implement the restrictions across the state, he has not done so—yet.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

March 24, 2020August 31, 2020 by Duane Morris

Mix of Statewide Emergency Rules and Local Advisories Dominate Florida’s Reaction to COVID-19

Florida is noticeably absent from the list of high-density states that have implemented stay-at-home orders due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (including New York, California, Illinois and others). Still, the state and localities have issued a number of orders and advisories aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. In addition, the state has relaxed a number of specific business restrictions in an effort to both encourage adherence to limitations on business operations and to counteract the detrimental economic effects of business closings.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.