UPDATED JUNE 3 at 3:45 p.m.
ORLANDO – Gov. Ron DeSantis today announced phase two of his “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step.” plan to reopen bars and entertainment venues in 64 of Florida’s counties beginning Friday, June 5.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are not initially included due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Bars will be able to open at 50% capacity inside and at full capacity outside with social distancing of 6 feet. Restaurants with bars will be allowed to seat customers at the bar with chairs 6 feet apart.
Retail stores and gyms may operate at full capacity with social distancing.
Entertainment venues including movie theaters, bowling alleys and concert venues can open at 50% capacity with the same restriction.
Personal services businesses, including acupuncture and massage studios and tattoo parlors, can reopen under Florida Department of Health guidance.
People over 65 or with underlying medical conditions are strongly encouraged to avoid crowds and take measures to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19, DeSantis said, adding that groups larger than 50 are discouraged.
People with new cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County in May
May 1 18
May 2 12
May 3 13
May 4 48
May 5 39
May 6 16
May 7 2
May 8 12
May 9 22
May 10 7
May 11 13
May 12 13
May 13 8
May 14 12
May 15 4
May 16 18
May 17 6
May 18 33
May 19 6
May 20 40
May 21 12
May 22 10
May 23 18
May 24 11
May 25 4
May 26 6
May 27 11
May 28 16
May 29 12
May 30 9
May 31 14
Source: Florida Department of Health
The plan to reopen the state economy from the virtual shutdown declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic recommends starting the second phase after “a downward trajectory of the syndromic and epidemiology criteria while maintaining adequate health care capacity. This will occur when there is no evidence of a rebound or resurgence of COVID-19 cases and satisfies the benchmarks outlined in this plan.”
The number of COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations has dropped since April 12 by about half statewide, DeSantis said during a press conference today in Orlando.
Comparing the 64 of Florida’s 67 counties not hardest hit by the virus with the seven states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases – New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania – DeSantis said Florida counties “would be way, way below in terms of the prevalence” of COVID-19. The governor did not compare the entire state of Florida with the rest of the states in the country.
Cases rising in county, state
In Manatee County and statewide, new cases of COVID-19 have been reported by the Florida Department of Health every day since Monday, May 4. That day, in phase one of the plan, Gov. DeSantis opened beaches, outdoor restaurant dining with spacing limits and indoor dining at 25% capacity, and retail stores at 25% capacity and allowed limited use of state parks.
Also that day, 48 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manatee County; 575 were reported statewide.
The following Monday, May 11, hair and nail salons reopened with enhanced safety protocols.
That day, 13 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manatee County; 608 were reported statewide.
The following Monday, May 18, gyms reopened at 50% capacity and restaurants and retail stores increased their capacity from 25% to 50%.
That day, 33 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manatee County; 614 were reported statewide.
Vacation rentals were to remain closed in the first phase of the plan; however, a lawsuit was filed against the state by vacation rental owners pointing out inconsistencies in allowing hotel and motels to open while keeping short-term rentals closed.
On Thursday, May 21, vacation rentals reopened during phase one.
That day, 12 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manatee County; 729 were reported statewide.
In May, the county reached a grim milestone of more than 1,000 cases. As of today, there were 1,110 people with COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health. So far, 98 people in the county have died.
The Centers for Disease Control ranks Manatee County 10th in Florida counties for the number of COVID-19 cases.
Statewide, new cases also have been reported every day in May, with the worst days being May 20 and May 28, with 1,200 new cases each day, according to the Florida Department of Health.
In total, there have been 58,764 cases statewide of people with COVID-19 as of today. So far, 2,566 people in the state have died of the disease.
