Florida is reopening certain businesses across the state on May, according to Governor Ron DeSantis.
"We will get Florida back on its feet by using an approach that is safe, smart, and step by step," DeSantis announced on Wednesday.
The governor pointed out that restaurants and retail stores could allow customers inside, but up to 25% capacity only. The public should still observe social distancing guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Restaurants can provide outdoor seating as long as tables are six feet apart.
"Outdoor transmission, as far as we've seen, has been more difficult than the indoor climate controlled transition," DeSantis noted. He added that medical officials proposed the outdoor seating change.
However, movie theaters cannot reopen yet.
"I just think it's practically difficult to do the social distancing," the governor said. "Indoor environments I think are more likely for transmission, so even though you could have done that on phase one, I think prudence dictates that we go a little slow on that."
Fitness centers, bars, and places that provide personal services, likes hair styling, can reopen later.
DeSantis said that people can undergo non-urgent surgeries again. However, the hospital will decide if it is capable to handle a high number of cases. The availability of protective equipment is also a factor.
Meanwhile, schools will continue to conduct online learning sessions, he said.
Exemptions from reopening
According to DeSantis, the new measures would not cover three of the counties hit hardest by coronavirus. These are Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. The latter accounts for about 6.2 million of Florida's residents, according to US Census data.
Meanwhile, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez supports the governor's plan. He pointed out that he was not sure when his city would be able to reopen.
"We have to discuss it with some of the experts, the epidemiologists as well as the Surgeon General, who we hope to speak with tomorrow, to get a clearer picture," he said during an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett.
DeSantis stressed that Florida's Phase 1 reopening will include walk-up and drive-up testing. There is a total of 11 state-supported walk-up sites in the state.
The governor added that the state provided 6,300 walk-up tests in the first two weeks.
"These walk-up sites are really important, and we want to be able to spot trends in some of the underserved communities," he said.
"A tailored and measured approach"
The governor on Tuesday commended the state's approach in handling the outbreak. He criticized the media for predicting that Florida's hospital system would struggle with almost a half million or more COVID-19 cases.
DeSantis accused some states of implementing "the most draconian orders."
"Everyone in the media was saying Florida was going to be like New York or Italy, and that has not happened," he said during his joint press conference at the White House with President Donald Trump.
"We had a tailored and measured approach that not only helped our numbers be way below what anybody predicted, but also did less damage to our state going forward," the governor added.
DeSantis credits Florida's reportedly low figures of COVID-19 cases to his office's efficient action. This included imposing a safer-at-home order that started on April 3.
