Florida Governor Ends Local Emergency COVID Orders

Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Governor, said that he is suspending all local COVID-19 emergency orders, effective immediately.

The governor said that the local emergency orders are suspended as of today and will be formally invalidated on July 1, 2021, through an executive order.

DeSantis signed Senate Bill 2006, which states that emergency orders may only last 42 days. The bill gives the governor authority to overrule cities and counties.  In the same way, city and county commissions have the authority to overrule mayors.

Changing COVID-19 Regulations

Last week Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings outlined an approach to phase out COVID-19 restrictions based on vaccination and positivity rates.  Those county plans may be overridden by the new Florida statehouse bill.  That Orange County plan proceeded an announcement by Dr. Raul Pino, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, that temperature checks were no longer needed.

Disney Makes Their Own Rules

Disney World has been operating under a local mask mandate from Orange County.  The governor’s order will likely suspend and invalidate that county requirement, but that doesn’t mean you will be able to visit Disney property without a mask.  Disney World is private property, and they can make their own more restrictive rules.

Florida suspends COVID-19 orders.  Good move?