Pictured Above: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step Plan,” for phase three of Florida’s reopening went into effect immediately after his Sept. 25 announcement.
Courtesy of Gage Skidmore
By Edyn Gottlieb
On Sept. 25, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida will be moving into phase three of its reopening plan.
DeSantis’ “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step Plan,” which went into effect immediately, allows for all restaurants and select businesses to open at full capacity.
Previously, these establishments have operated at 50 percent capacity, as outlined in phase two.
“There will not be limitations from the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis further clarified that if local ordinances prohibit restaurants from reopening at full capacity, they can reopen at a minimum capacity of 50 percent.
If the local government wants to prevent businesses from opening at the mandated 50 percent or higher, they can make a case to the state as to why they want to enforce these restrictions as well as the cost involved.
Local restaurant Red Mesa Cantina, at 128 3rd St. S opted not to immediately open at 100 percent capacity.
“As far as opening up at full capacity, we decided not to,” said Jamie Mccorick, general manager at Red Mesa. “We are open at 75 percent capacity. We still require all of our staff and customers to wear a mask and check our employees’ temperatures before their shift.”
The executive order, signed just days after Florida’s bars and breweries were given the green light to reopen, ensures that “no COVID-19 emergency ordinance may prevent an individual from working or from operating a business.”
“A successful reopening with robust economic growth is directly tied to a healthy society,” said Stephen Diasio, USF St. Petersburg Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “Opening up without sound protocols, processes, and safety measures undermine a sustainable economic rebound and creates uncertainty for businesses, for workers and for society.
“It’s simple, safety out in public has consequences for safety within our homes and in our schools. Without proper protocols in public, how can we expect different results within our homes and in our schools.”
Since the order was signed, Manatee County has become one of the first counties in the state to repeal their mask mandate.
County commissioners voted 4-3 on Tuesday to drop the countywide face mask requirement but “strongly encourage individuals who cannot social distance to wear face coverings and support businesses displaying signs requiring face masks to be worn in business establishments to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
