Face of Nation International : Florida governor plans checkpoints to screen Louisianians, suspend vacation rentals as cases pass 4,000
When the number of coronavirus deaths reached 54 in Florida on Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis told the state’s surgeon general, Dr. Scott Rivkees, to get on the phone and send a public health alert to every Florida resident.
The message Rivkees texted Saturday afternoon was a repeat of the advisory he issued Wednesday, that people 65 and older, and those with underlying medical conditions, should stay home and avoid crowds, and everyone should practice “social distancing.”
By Saturday evening, the number of coronavirus cases in Florida stood at 4,038, more than a fivefold increase from a week ago, when the state reported 706 infections. The death count creeped up to 56.
The virus has been particularly fatal for those over the age of 65, with that group making up 89% of statewide deaths. Another 35% were between the ages of 55 and 74, while people younger made up 4% of the fatalities and those over 85 were 19% of deaths.
“Protect yourself. Now is not the time to go outside. Don’t get involved in any big crowds, use this time to protect yourself,” DeSantis said in a briefing live-streamed from his conference room in the Capitol. (Source: USA Today News – USA)
