Florida Reopens Phase 3: DeSantis Lifts Restrictions On Restaurants, Other Businesses

September 25, 2020

Florida has entered the third phase of reopening effective immediately, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday. That allows all businesses to reopen as COVID-19 restrictions loosen.

The order removes all state-love restrictions and removes the ability of local governments to close businesses and assess fines on individuals. The change effects mostly restaurants and bars, which had been restricted to 50% capacity.

While a local government can’t close a business under the order, they can still limit and regulate businesses.

“You can’t just say no,” DeSantis said. “You can’t say no after six months and just have people twisting in the wind.”

The exception to that is restaurants. Restaurants cannot be restricted further than 50% capacity, and local governments must justify it from an economic and health perspective.

“This is a very difficult industry to succeed in,” DeSantis said, adding the idea that government should lead on restrictions rather than self-imposed business practices “misplaced.”

Local governments cannot collect and fines or fees on individuals, and that includes to enforce a mask mandate.

Comments

34 Responses to “Florida Reopens Phase 3: DeSantis Lifts Restrictions On Restaurants, Other Businesses”

  1. Bigblock345 on September 27th, 2020 11:55 am

    Thank you Michele. But sadly, the blind, deaf, and dumb will never be convinced their dear government doesn’t have their best interests at heart. Or heaven forbid, might deceive them. Being sheep, they willingly and gladly follow Judas to the slaughterhouse.

  2. jordan on September 27th, 2020 11:25 am

    I read a lot of the comments both for and against. People who say if is just the flu need to read more non-biased news, because it is much worse. That even came right out of Trump’s mouth. Sorry, he screwed this up back in Feb when he did not close the country for 2 weeks when there was not much of the virus out there. Now it is spread around so much that a lot of schools have to be closed due to children getting the virus (also right out of Trump’s mouth). To the lady who is glad to see her husband again, I pray that someone in the next room does NOT bring the virus to where he is and kills him. And finally, for the people who just think it is “just the flu” educate yourself by reading and learn all about the long lasting side effects that lasts months after a person is “cured.”

  3. Dean on September 27th, 2020 8:32 am

    The usual deniers…no courage, no discipline and no sense. The perfect trump trifecta. Why he and this puppet governor so easily manipulated you folks. Boy have I got a piece of swampland to sell you! Carry on clueless, science denying people. I have the money and the sense to do the right thing and I guess I read about you in the daily statistics. So knock yourselves out!

  4. Dwr on September 27th, 2020 7:44 am

    About time! This has gone on way to long. Remember 15 days to slow the spread? Every bit of this has been a power grab.

  5. take it serious on September 26th, 2020 10:16 pm

    Since the population of the USA is over 300 million, the death rate of 1% from covid = over 3 MILLION DEATHS, are you okay with that??

    We need to try our best to prevent this from happening.

  6. Steve on September 26th, 2020 9:34 pm

    Mask dont work.. Been proven and the people that keep pushing for it just want that warm blanket of protection,
    ITS A ILLUSION. It does not stop it. WASHING your hands and keeping them away from your face does more good..

    GLAD this mess is about over.

  7. dreamboat annie on September 26th, 2020 8:38 pm

    Thank you Governor DeSantis !

  8. ALEX on September 26th, 2020 12:00 pm

    ben franklin did not say a word about the covid virus. it is a long stretch to even compare security/freedom to a disease. we would not require massive shutdowns if people would follow very simple precautions such as wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing. but no, too many people cry about their freedoms and constitutional rights. if you do or do not have covid, stay away from me and my family. if you do not want to take simple precautions, STAY HOME and do not risk making others sick.

  9. nod on September 26th, 2020 11:32 am

    we do not need to close everything down, but by opening up everything about half the people will stop taking simple precautions to stop covid from spreading. i have a blind friend that i take places, from now on i am going to let him drive and the rest of you just get out of his way.

  10. Michele on September 26th, 2020 11:14 am

    Benjamin Franklin said it best, “He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.“. Look at the numbers people! From age 0-70 years of age you have a 99% chance of surviving if you contract this virus!! That’s per the CDC!!
    These lockdowns, the attempted destruction of our economy, the thousands of small businesses and families that lost they’re livelihoods, the many suicides and lost lives due ONLY to the shutdowns were for reasons much sinister than a virus. I know this may be hard to believe for most, but as Mark Twain said, “It’s easier to fool someone than to convince them they’ve been fooled.” And to quote the infamous Joseph Goebbels, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

  11. southerner on September 26th, 2020 10:11 am

    Give us liberty.

  12. Vicky on September 26th, 2020 8:50 am

    All we can do is pray for everyone ! It’s going to get bad .

  13. Pdg on September 26th, 2020 8:23 am

    Good job. I’m sure anyone that has a problem with this can still wear their face Diaper or just stay home. Got my vote!

  14. Thoughts on September 26th, 2020 7:59 am

    Regardless of his decision some will be happy and some opposed, he can’t make everyone happy with his direction.

    When you think of experiencing life, is it meant to be viewed from your home sheltered away from your friends, family on the chance that you might get sick? How many memories, chances at living life have been lost these last 6 months?

    Would you rather live your life sitting inside your home never experiencing anything just to say you are alive? Or would you rather go out into the world and live!

    How many dying people would think “I’m so happy I quarantined” or would rather say “I lived my life to the fullest”!

    Whether you are for or against the decision don’t take the opportunity to experience life from other people based on your fear of dying.

    With any cold/flu/disease, do what’s smart for your situation and your family. Wash your hands, wear or don’t wear a mask, when a vaccine is available then be the first to sign up.

    As Americans we so freely just handed over our rights and freedoms to this disease and so quickly relinquished what men and women have died to protect for us.

    Stand up America! Take your freedom back! Land of the free and home of the Brave!

  15. Meanwhile on September 26th, 2020 7:52 am

    Meanwhile someone from the company I work at is in intensive care at the moment on a ventilator from this stuff. Healthy guy fighting for his life, but yea “let me live me life an shop with out the commy mask on.”

  16. Michele on September 26th, 2020 7:39 am

    A CDC update Wednesday says individuals are more likely to survive the coronavirus after contracting it. The health agency says if you have the virus between the ages of 0 to 70, you have a 99% survival rate. And if you’re over 70, the survival rate is nearly 95%.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis also tweeted about the update, saying people in the age groups of 0 to 19 have a 99.997% chance of survival if they contract COVID-19, the age group of 20 to 49 a 99.98% chance, 50 to 69 years old 99.5% and 70 years old and above a 94.6% chance.

    We should have never closed.

  17. Robert Bruner on September 26th, 2020 6:49 am

    What could possibly go wrong? Another Trump puppet who dismisses science. Science always wins. I hope you are not old with health problems. Your family will miss you.

  18. Bill on September 26th, 2020 6:25 am

    It’s true that fear can be unhealthy but there’s good fear and bad fear. Fear of catching and even worse spreading a virus that kills people is a good fear. A psychologically healthy person doesn’t pretend AIDS doesn’t exist. I love and respect my wife too much to potentially expose her to an STI. I don’t drive drunk or recklessly because of fear. Fear of going to jail, hurting or killing myself, and most importantly hurting others keeps me from disregarding traffic laws. Going about your business as if covid isn’t real isn’t about overcoming fear. It’s a selfish refusal to sacrifice anything to keep yourself and others safe. A proper amount of fear of a virus that has already killed 200,000 Americans shows that you care about yourself and others. That’s normal and healthy.

  19. Dee on September 26th, 2020 5:44 am

    Thank you, there will always be a virus, flu, etc. Start living and quit dying of fear.

  20. Jen on September 25th, 2020 10:18 pm

    Stop living in fear, this virus has affected everyone, no one is exempt. But you cannot allow fear to continue to rule you. I think this is a great move forward, if you don’t like it stay home. I’ve been a nurse for over 10 years, I’ve worked every single day since the pandemic hit… time to start living again. Period.

  21. HotRod on September 25th, 2020 8:56 pm

    DeSantis gets my vote, this thing is a political virus. Get over it.

  22. vote on September 25th, 2020 8:20 pm

    You can get another job but not another life.

  23. Lost my vote on September 25th, 2020 7:57 pm

    Lost my vote. Blood on your hands.

  24. Tessa on September 25th, 2020 7:39 pm

    Wonderful news! So good to get our lives back.

  25. take it serious on September 25th, 2020 7:28 pm

    I believe in the value of all human life, all life, the unborn, the poor, the rich and the elderly. This ruling is against that! It makes me sick to hear our supposes to be leaders turn their backs on the saving of life, they have just given up, since they have gave up on life I will vote against them and encourage all to do the same. We are going into the worst time for the virus.
    Never thought our own government would work against it citizens and spread misinformation at the expense of human life.

  26. Derek Finger on September 25th, 2020 5:08 pm

    This is not a simple, one size fits all solution. Some of the people who are against re-openings are retired and their finances are set. Other people have to work, business owners are losing their life savings, etc.

  27. Reece Gilmore on September 25th, 2020 4:46 pm

    I totally disagree with this decision. I feel that the Govornor is criminaly quilty of
    Causing death to all the residents of Florida that have died due to his rulings…

  28. ALEX on September 25th, 2020 4:20 pm

    great, now get ready for a big increase in covid-19 cases

  29. About time on September 25th, 2020 4:12 pm

    Take that communistic rulers on the city council, your bogus science mask mandate is now essentially useless. Maybe I’ll finally go into the city limits and shop again.

  30. Bill on September 25th, 2020 3:53 pm

    Almost 14,000 dead Floridians so far. 177 added yesterday. With this the number will probably double before the new year. It’s worth it to keep those $9-$12 an hour restaurant jobs alive. It’s not like we could redistribute the wealth and replace dead end restaurant work with something like green energy projects and jobs with living wages and healthcare. The important thing is to keep low income, unsustainable, and environmentally devastating and soul destroying employment opportunities available to everyone.

  31. Beegee Ryals on September 25th, 2020 2:28 pm

    Wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  32. Anne on September 25th, 2020 2:25 pm

    I saw my husband in person for the first time in 28 weeks that his nursing home was closed. Before that we lunched together every day for 4 1/2 years. His depression at not seeing me sent him downhill faster than normal life would have taken him. I am now visiting him in Hospice, thanks to your decision to keep us apart for so long after 33 years together. Your decisions have caused a lot of pain and grief. I am just now coming out of shock. I hope you never have to experience my pain.

  33. Jay on September 25th, 2020 1:10 pm

    Just in time for COVID season. Nice.

  34. Happy on September 25th, 2020 1:09 pm

    Sweet!