Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried issued a statement Friday calling on Governor Ron DeSantis to issue a statewide “stay-at-home” order in response to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
According to the latest update from Florida Department of Health, Saturday morning, Florida has a total of 658 positive cases of the coronavirus including two new deaths in Broward and Duval Counties respectively bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Florida to 12 people.
There are currently 603 positive cases in Florida residents and 55 cases involving non-Florida residents in the state.
In her statement, Commissioner Fried acknowledges the “difficult choices” Gov. DeSantis has been making in recent days, including the shuttering of all bars and his executive order, Friday, calling for the closure of all restaurant dining rooms and gyms for the duration of Florida’s current State of Emergency. The current State of Emergency Declaration is set to expire May 8, but could be extended.
In her statement, Fried said, “No Governor in recent history would have expected to have to make a decision like California, New York, or Illinois have made in the past 72 hours. Shutting down one of the nation’s largest states is a decision that will have an economic impact – but it is a decision that will save lives. Based on the data, we know we are a week behind California's vast increase in COVID-19 cases.”
Fried’s statement goes on to say, “As the nation's third largest state, we need to go further, and we cannot afford to lose another week. I am asking the Governor to consider implementing a statewide "stay-at-home" order, closing all non-essential businesses for a reasonable timeframe, after which time the situation could be reassessed. A piecemeal approach of closing certain communities and businesses risks sowing further confusion.”
In addition to calling for a statewide “stay-at-home” order from Gov. DeSantis, Ag Commissioner Fried also issued a number of emergency orders and rules on Friday related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
These include “waiving fees for businesses and license applicants, extending the expiration on concealed weapons and security guard licenses by 30 days, providing training flexibility for workers, and helping move gasoline to consumers more efficiently. These are common-sense actions that will help our state continue to thrive in these challenging times.”
Fried’s emergency orders issued Friday are as follows:
Emergency Order 2020-002 provides relief to pest control, pesticide, fertilizer, and animal feed licensees by suspending the late fees assessed for failure to timely pay fees, or timely renew licenses and certifications. Additionally, it extends (by 30 days) the timeframes required for both quarterly and annual reporting, as well as for renewing licenses and certificates.
Emergency Order 2020-003 waives fees that would typically be imposed for late renewals of the following permits and registrations: solicitors of contributions (charities), brake fluid, commercially-used weights and measures (e.g., scales), motor vehicle repair shops, and dealers of agricultural products.
Emergency Order 2020-004 will help concealed weapon licensees and Chapter 493 licensees by suspending renewal application late fees, providing additional time (30 days) to renew licenses set to expire, providing armed security officers additional time to submit proof of annual requalification, and allowing unarmed security officer training to be conducted by live video conferencing.
Emergency Rule 5JER20-1 states that the COVID-19 global health crisis and the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s directive to limit travel, there is an extreme and unusual oversupply of fuel meeting winter season volatility requirements, known as “winter blend” fuel. This emergency rule will allow winter blend fuel to be sold longer, ensuring the adequate and rapid distribution of available fuel and helping to stabilize the fuel market, and providing consumers a stable supply of gasoline.
Emergency Rule 5PER20-2 extends the deadlines for Sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program to appeal agency action that may be issued against them by the Department in the coming weeks. The deadlines are being extended to allow Sponsors the extra time needed to comply with recommendations for social distancing when responding to the agency action and to allow the Department to safely hold hearings at a later date.
A number of municipalities throughout Florida have already taken the steps of imposing curfews and forcing the closures of hotels. The impact of job losses in the hospitality industry so far are largely anecdotal, but data released Thursday from the American Hotel & Lodging Association says about 400,000 jobs have been cut from hotels and related businesses.
