Governor Ron DeSantis says people should stay home until April 15

DORAL, FL – At a press conference held this morning at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, a federal testing site for coronavirus, Governor Ron DeSantis announced he will be signing an executive order urging those in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties to stay home until April 15 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“This codifies a set of rules regarding ‘Safer at Home’ in Southeast Florida…It gets all four counties operating on the same sheet of music,” said the governor. 

This upcoming order matches with the recommendations that all mayors across Miami-Dade and the other counties have been issuing to the public urging them to leave home only for essential-type of jobs or to buy food and medication. 

Although not further details of the executive order were shared to the press, Gov. DeSantis said Southeast needed additional actions because of the amount of cases concentrated in the region. 

As of Monday morning, according to the Miami Herald, the four counties made up 58% of the total positive novel coronavirus cases in the state.

“We do this until the middle of May and we’ll see where we’re at, but I think what’s been done has been helpful,” DeSantis said. “Once we get this thing under control then we can go back and enjoying life the way we used to.”

The governor also announced the acquisition of hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria and lupus. According to him, the Food and Drug Administration approved its use on Sunday, under the right circumstances, for COVID-19 patients. 

On Monday DeSantis also announced he would sign an order lifting restrictions on sending recently retired law enforcement and healthcare professionals back to work.