Florida enters Phase 1 of Coronavirus Recovery Today

Starting today, Monday April 18th, 2020, Florida is officially in Stage 1 of the Coronavirus COVID-19 recovery plan. This entails the following changes and reopenings.

All the openings that began on May 4 still remain, although some restrictions have been loosened now that Florida is taking its next baby step in getting the economy back to what it was before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

The biggest change is that gyms and fitness studios, which had been closed since mid-March, can open their doors once again.

Here’s what else to expect as Florida enters its full phase one of reopening come Monday:

• Museums, libraries, restaurants and retail shops can operate at 50% capacity, up from the current 25%.

• Gyms can open as long as they maintain social distancing and keep capacity at 50%.

• Any professional Florida team can train at sporting venues. Teams will also be allowed to play at those venues when the season begins. Governor DeSantis didn’t mention when fans will be allowed to attend those events.

• Amusement parks can submit reopening plans to the state, which should include a date for when they’d like to reopen. The plans should also include guidelines on how to protect guests and employees and an endorsement from a local elected official, for example, the mayor.

• Movie theaters will remain closed, although drive-in locations can operate. Bars and nightclubs also will remain closed until phase two begins.

• No decision has been made on summer camps, but DeSantis hopes to know more about that soon. He said he doesn’t want to see young children deprived of activities.

• No statewide announcement has been made on vacation rentals. The governor said counties that would like them to begin again should submit a plan to the state for authorization. He said having vacation rentals open to only Florida residents would be preferred.