x
Breaking News
More () »

Top 4 things you need to know about the first phase of reopening Florida

Here are the top four things you need to know about the first phase of reopening Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that the state will go into phase one of reopening its economy beginning Monday, May 4. Here are the top four things you need to know about phase one.

What's reopening, resuming

DeSantis said elective surgeries can resume and that restaurants that were closed can reopen. Restaurants may offer outdoor seating with six-foot space between tables, and indoor seating will be at 25% capacity. 

Retail stores can also operate at 25% indoor capacity. 

What's staying closed

While restaurants can reopen with social distancing in mind, bars are to remain closed. Gyms and personal services, such as hair and nail salons, will also remain closed.

School campuses will stay closed and students will continue distance learning. 

Social distancing is still the norm

Elderly and immunocompromised people should still avoid close contact with people outside their homes. Anyone -- whether vulnerable or not -- should still maximize physical distance from others, the governor said, and people should still avoid socializing in groups of more than 10. Face masks are still recommended for anyone in face-to-face interactions or in situations where they can't social distance.

Visits to senior living facilities will remain prohibited.

Some Florida counties are excluded from phase one

For now, the reopening process will exclude southeast Florida counties, namely Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which have seen the highest rates of COVID-19 in the state.

"These counties have seen the lion's share of this pandemic but they are trending in a positive direction," DeSantis said. "I am working with them and will continue to work them and I do believe that they will be able to move to phase one very soon."

RELATED: Guidelines released for reopening of Florida theme parks 

The full news conference announcing Florida's reopening can be viewed below:

RELATED: Live Blog: Beaches to offer extended hours next week, but restrictions still in place

RELATED: Fernandina Beach to reopen city beaches Monday with no restrictions

RELATED: Coronavirus attacks lungs, but now it's damaging kidneys; doctors want to know why

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out