As Florida COVID-19 cases roar past 7,700 with more than 100 deaths, Gov. Ron DeSantis is ordering Floridians to stay at home through April 30, a decision that came after weeks of facing pressure to lock down the state to fight the infections disease. Essential businesses, like grocery stores, can stay open.
Florida stay-at-home order: What you can and cannot do now
Florida had been the only state with more than 5,000 cases without such an order, with DeSantis insisting that localized orders for South Florida and by individual cities and counties were sufficient. But by Wednesday evening, the state had nearly 7,800 cases, 101 deaths and nearly 1,000 hospitalizations. There were more than 1,000 new cases and 16 deaths announced on Wednesday alone.
More than 30 other states had already issued such orders, including other large states such as California, New York and Illinois. Those all acted more than a week ago.
DeSantis’ about-face came as health data experts gave clearer estimates of coronavirus’ toll, warning that even with social distancing, Florida could see a median of 6,937 deaths, and the virus could kill between 100,000 and 240,000 people in the United States in the coming months.
Nationwide, with over 213,000 cases, the U.S. death toll surged past 4,700 by Wednesday. Worldwide, there are over 930,000 cases and more than 46,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.
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The U.S. surgeon general said Wednesday that national guidelines amount to “a national stay-at-home order” that everyone should heed to slow the spread of coronavirus. Dr. Jerome Adams’ declaration came in response to DeSantis’ earlier resistance to issuing such an order.
The virus is now projected to kill thousands of Floridians even in a best-case scenario, as cases are continuing to double almost every three days in the state. A failure to impose stringent isolation measures — coupled with an older population — could make Florida one of the nation’s hardest-hit regions, said William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
One more Central Florida county also opted to enact a stay-at-home order as Sumter County, which includes the massive retirement community of The Villages, joined Orange and Osceola counties with such a measure. Lake and Seminole counties have put in more social distancing requirements, but held off a stay-at-home order. Daytona Beach, meanwhile, has enacted a curfew.
Testing in Central Florida expanded Wednesday with the announcement that anyone with symptoms or a pre-existing medical condition can go to the drive-up center near the Orange County Convention Center. The site had already reached capacity by midday and will reopen at 9 a.m. Thursday. There were 271 screened and 250 tested. 10 people were turned away at the ID checkpoint for not meeting any of the criteria. Testing also expanded in Brevard County (details below).
Meanwhile, two more cruise ships with sick people aboard are heading to South Florida, joining a string of vessels with plans to dock at Port Everglades. The Celebrity Silhouette and Caribbean Princess have some crew members who are sick with influenza-like symptoms. The ships’ pending arrival comes amid intensifying debate over whether ships with sick people should be allowed to dock at Port Everglades.
“We’re going to be willing to accept any Floridians that are on board,” DeSantis said at his press briefing Wednesday afternoon, adding that he’s concerned about a potential shortage of hospital beds.
DeSantis said he’d talked with President Trump about the cruise ship dilemma on Wednesday morning.
South Florida is the epicenter of the pandemic in Florida, with 4,380 total cases in Miami-Dade (2,416), Broward (1,348) and Palm Beach (616) counties, about 56 percent of the state’s cases.
Orange County’s 458 cases leads Central Florida, followed by Osceola’s 140, Seminole’s 128, Volusia’s 93, Polk’s 91, Lake’s 71, Sumter’s 57 and Brevard’s 47. (See details on all Central Florida cases here).
Florida has performed nearly 70,000 tests. More than 60,000 were negative, and the results of over 1,300 are pending.
While 25 percent of Florida cases are among people 65 and older, coronavirus has been found in the young as well. Orange County is tracking four cases in babies, while Osceola and Brevard each has one patient age 1 or younger.
Federal and state officials have either asked or flat-out prohibited hospitals from performing elective procedures in order to preserve supplies, free up beds and protect providers from potential exposure to COVID-19, but many hospitals around the nation, including Orlando Health, are still performing the procedures.
On Monday, the state recommended public schools not re-open until after April 30. All of Central Florida’s school districts then fell in line with that recommendation.
Many states have enacted statewide stay-at-home orders a week or longer ago, including New York, which has more than 76,000 cases and 1,700 deaths. Arizona is the latest state to enact such and order joining 30 other states plus Washington D.C. with similar approaches.
Click here for a timeline of how the coronavirus crisis grew in Central Florida.
You can find a running summary of the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Orlando area and Florida below. Also, sign up for new daily Florida coronavirus update by subscribing to The Health Report newsletter and as-they-happen Breaking News emails at OrlandoSentinel.com/newsletters.
Latest news
Scientists offer more evidence coronavirus is spread by seemingly healthy people who show no symptoms
Scientists offered more evidence Wednesday that the coronavirus is spread by seemingly healthy people who show no clear symptoms, and the federal government issued new guidance warning that anyone exposed to the disease can be considered a carrier.
A study by researchers in Singapore became the latest to estimate that somewhere around 10% of new infections may be sparked by people who carry the virus but have not yet suffered its flu-like symptoms.
All 146,000 federal inmates to be locked in their cells for 14 days in effort to slow the spread of coronavirus
The federal Bureau of Prisons is locking all its 146,000 inmates in their cells for the next two weeks in an unparalleled effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, as the focus shifts to a Louisiana compound, where two inmates have died and nearly 20 others remain hospitalized.
The compound, known as FCC Oakdale, has emerged as ground zero in the federal prison system’s struggle to contain coronavirus behind bars. The situation there is so dire that the local health department told the federal government there was no need to test inmates anymore for the coronavirus. Those showing symptoms should be presumed to have it.
Florida stay-at-home order: What you can and cannot do now
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order mandating Floridians stay home starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday contains exemptions for “essential services.” That list is extensive.
The order supersedes all local government shelter-in-place or stay home orders, although local governments can impose further restrictions as they deem appropriate.
Working at home: My grand plans for professionalism quickly deteriorate | Commentary
On the first day of self-isolation at the Maxwell House, my wife and I had grand ambitions for working at home.
“Consummate professionalism!” That was our motto.
Corcoran praises Florida schools for quick move to online learning during coronavirus crisis
Florida’s school districts have done an “amazing” job pivoting to online education just weeks after campuses were shuttered to control the spread of the new coronavirus, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said Wednesday.
Corcoran, speaking at a State Board of Education meeting held by telephone, said he was impressed with the work of Florida’s school superintendents and wanted to give “tremendous credit to the entire education community in the state of Florida.”
SeaWorld, Crayola Experience add to wave of at-home activities
Members of the tourism and attractions community continue to provide online content for entertainment and educational purposes during the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down schools and theme parks alike. Add offerings from Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and the Crayola Experience to the options.
SeaWorld Orlando and its sister park Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have made public some of its (mostly) animal-driven resources that are tailored to students between kindergarten and 12th grade.
Alafaya Trail coronavirus testing site takes 199 samples in first week. Department of Health wants to test more.
A coronavirus testing site on Alafaya Trail tested nearly 200 people in its first week, according to the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.
Health officials still hope to ramp up its capacity to about 50 tests per day, while so far its most productive day resulted in 39 samples being collected, said Kent Donahue, a spokesman for the agency.
Central Florida hotel occupancy rate plummets to just 14% in wake of coronavirus
Central Florida hotel occupancy and revenue plunged last week as the coronavirus pandemic battered one of the region’s most important industries.
New data shared Wednesday by the industry tracker STR showed 14% of Central Florida’s more than 125,000 rooms had occupants during the week of March 22-28.
New stay-home order for Florida
In announcing the stay-home order, DeSantis said at a Tallahassee press conference that he would order Floridians to “limit movements and personal interaction outside the home” to just essential services and activities.
The order expires on April 30, though at least one major study out of the University of Washington predicted Florida’s peak for coronavirus cases would be May 3.
“It makes sense to make this move now,” DeSantis said.
He said President Trump had agreed with him on his previous focus on the state’s “hotspots,” but added, “it seems like he understood” the new order.
COVID-19 left you with time on your hands? Write a play or a song
Writers, pens at the ready. With people self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic, several arts groups are looking for writers. And, after all, in most cases, writing is a solitary activity.
In all cases, the writing-based initiatives are open to all; no experience required, as they say.
Federal health officials inspect long-term care facilities
Federal health inspectors Tuesday arrived in Florida to evaluate how long-term care facilities are responding to the spread of the new coronavirus. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services surveyors “have been on site in a handful of counties where they are in full PPE,” Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew said Tuesday, referring to personal protective equipment.
Scammers try to steal personal information
Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning consumers that scammers have been using coronavirus fears and the Census count to steal personal information.
In an advisory sent Wednesday, Moody said a scam claiming that Floridians must respond to the 2020 Census to get the coronavirus stimulus payment has been growing.
The message shares a link to a fake website that asks for personal information.
Florida campaigns at ‘standstill’
There are two ways for a candidate to qualify for the ballot in Florida: signatures or money. But when knocking on doors to collect thousands of signatures becomes impossible during a pandemic – and when contributions are the last thing many people can afford – what is a prospective candidate to do?
Campaigning had already started to slow to a halt in several municipal races in Orange County before the March 17 election, which took place at the cusp of when the coronavirus outbreak began to severely affect people’s lives.
Legoland New York opening pushed back to 2021
Legoland New York will not open this year as scheduled, the resort announced Wednesday. The theme park and a 250-room Legoland Hotel was expected to debut on July 4, 2020. A new opening date will be announced “in the coming months,” Legoland’s website says.
Hope for a strong turtle nesting season
Around the world, people have seen a few unexpected benefits from staying home to contain the new coronavirus. Blue skies made a rare appearance in Chinese cities, a change of pace from the smog. Clear water began flowing through canals in Venice, Italy. And now in Florida, the shutdown of beaches could give sea turtles some of the best nesting conditions in the coming weeks as the season picks up, turtle experts say. The coronavirus-related closure of beaches has led to few, if any, people on the sands, so turtles won’t be disrupted by them as they come ashore to place their eggs.
Parents forced to become distance-learning teachers | Commentary
Until further notice, classes and assignments will be done online through May 1. Teachers are charge, but parents have been conscripted to be the teachers’ eyes, ears and hands. Mom and Dad basically have to become assistant teachers for distance schooling to work. And many will to do it while trying to work their regular jobs from home.
‘Star Wars’ actor Andrew Jack dies of coronavirus
Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died in Britain as a result of the coronavirus, his agent said on Wednesday. He was 76. The actor, who also worked as a dialect coach, died in a hospital in Surrey on Tuesday, Jack’s agent Jill McCullough said in a statement.
New York City deaths top 1,000
More than 1,000 of the U.S. deaths are in New York City alone. The region rushed to set up extra hospital capacity at the mammoth Javits Convention Center, on a Navy hospital ship and in the indoor tennis center that hosts the U.S. Open. On the streets outside hospitals, bodies were loaded onto refrigerated morgue trucks by gurney and forklift, in some cases in full view of passing motorists.
Nearly 16% of the New York Police Department’s uniformed force is now out sick. More than 1,000 officers have tested positive for the virus.
Stay home advisory for Sumter as Villages cases increase
Sumter County, home of a large part of The Villages retirement community, issued a stay-at-home advisory Tuesday as coronavirus cases increased there and in nearby Lake County. The advisory is in effect through April 30 and says people should stay in their homes except for such activities as buying food and medical supplies, seeing a doctor, caring for others, exercising or going to and from work.
What to do if you can’t pay your bills
Here is what to do if you cannot pay your bills today due to the coronavirus pandemic. Do not panic. There are options for those who cannot pay their bills. Here are recommendations based on Orlando Sentinel interviews and research.
One of Florida’ last open beaches shuts down
The city of Mexico Beach was still open until midnight Monday after city leaders voted to shut it down for two weeks. It was a notable holdout in Florida’s Panhandle, but leaders had reasoned keeping the beach open would be fine since the city has no hotels and few restaurants, since it’s still recovering from Hurricane Michael. In Central Florida, Volusia beaches remain open, but without access to drive. In Brevard, public beachside parking is closed, and certain cities have closed weekend beach hours between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Read more about which beaches in Florida are still open and which are closed.
Florida’s coronavirus crazy quilt is DeSantis’ responsibility | Editorial
What is Ron DeSantis waiting for? While more and more states recognize the wisdom of short-term shutdowns of their states to avoid long-term health and economic consequences, Florida’s governor keeps flailing about, the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board says. Thanks largely to his inaction and indecisiveness, Florida has become a crazy quilt of state and local coronavirus orders.
Brevard County opens up testing criteria
In Brevard County, appointment-only drive-through tests are now open to a greater pool of people with COVID-19 symptoms, the Florida Department of Health said. These symptoms include a fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, and shortness of breath. Call 321-454-7141 for screening and registration.
The county DOH also said several area urgent care clinics and some private medical facilities are also testing. Anyone who believes they have COVID-19 should call their health care provider before going to the facility.
Daytona Beach enacts curfew
An overnight curfew for Daytona Beach residents has been established for 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Thursday. It is scheduled to remain through 5 a.m. April 8 unless the city ends or extends it.
Florida man, border-wall enthusiast, reinvents himself as mask middleman
A Florida Air Force veteran who set up a GoFundMe for President Trump’s border wall has now seized on an opportunity to cash in on the need for N95 masks during the coronavirus crisis, according to news reports. In Brian Kolfage’s new venture, America First Medical, he’s charging about $4 each for the masks needed by health-care workers and in nursing homes, Reuters reports.
After weeks trapped in Peru, Orlando family is home
After nearly two weeks stuck in Peru under a coronavirus lockdown, an Orlando woman and her family are back in the United States. They landed in Miami on Thursday evening on State Department-chartered flight following a wait for a flight to evacuate them from Iquitos, Peru.
Gas is cheap, but stations struggle
Gas prices have fallen to below $2 a gallon as people stay home, but at places like the College Park Sunoco in Orlando, the lack of commuters means some are out of work. The Edgewater Drive gas station and repair shop has had to furlough three of its 10 workers as traffic has dwindled and customers who might need maintenance have suffered their own financial hits or are looking to stay inside.
Surgeon, UCF professor: Please take public health measures seriously
An Orlando-area surgeon is urging people to take seriously social distancing and other public health measures after a photo of his wife battling coronavirus went viral. Sam Atallah, a practicing colon and rectal surgeon as well as a professor at UCF’s medical school, posted the selfie on Twitter Monday afternoon, showing him in medical scrubs and a mask with his wife in the background on a hospital bed.
Orange County rental assistance hotline closes
Orange County shut down its rental assistance hotline at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. More than 20,000 people have applied for help since the hotline opened more than a week ago in response to soaring unemployment numbers related to the coronavirus pandemic, said spokeswoman Despina McLaughlin.
UCF students living off-campus are stuck paying rent after they were urged to go home
While UCF said it will refund a portion of students’ on-campus housing fees since classes were moved online, off-campus apartments aren’t offering such concessions. That leaves thousands of students and, in some cases their parents, on the hook for nearly $1,000 a month as unemployment soars.
Central Florida city reminds residents to flush only toilet paper
Coronavirus concerns have had a heavy toll not only on toilet paper’s presence on store shelves, but also on indoor plumbing. Titusville leaders released a statement asking residents to be careful what they’re flushing in replacement of toilet paper as the commodity becomes increasingly difficult to find.
Walmart to check employees’ temperatures, offer them masks and gloves
Walmart said it will begin temperature checks for all employees before they start their shifts. The world’s largest retailer is also making masks and gloves available for employees who want to wear them. The new steps come as grocery workers increasingly become worried about being at the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. considers broader use of masks
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the White House coronavirus task force is looking into the idea of recommending broader, community-wide use of masks to deter the spread of the new coronavirus. Fauci said the task force first wants to make sure that such a move wouldn’t take away from the supply of masks available to health care workers.
He said wearing a mask may prevent an infected person from spreading the virus. Fauci is the director National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leader of the U.S. response to the pandemic.
U.S. warship captain seeks crew isolation as virus spreads
The captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier facing a growing outbreak of the coronavirus is asking for permission to isolate the bulk of his roughly 5,000 crew members on shore, which would take the warship out of duty in an effort to save lives.
The ship is docked in Guam. In a memo to Navy leaders, the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt said the spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating, and said that removing all but 10% of the crew is a “necessary risk” in order to stop the spread of the virus. U.S. Navy leaders on Tuesday were scrambling to determine how to best respond to the extraordinary request as dozens of crew members tested positive.
Tip of the day
Call your doctor or healthcare provider if you think that you have been exposed or are showing symptoms of #COVID19 such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. To learn more about COVID-19 symptoms and testing, visit the CDC’s symtoms page.
Symptoms? Do this
Call your health-care provider if you have cough, fever and shortness of breath — and you’ve been in close contact with someone how has COVID-19 or has recently traveled to one of the following countries, where the virus transmission is widespread: China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
How to protect yourself
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with persons in poor health.
Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow these recommendations for using a face mask: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask. The masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of masks are also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings.
Questions? Here are numbers to call
The Florida Department of Health has set up a call center to answer questions about coronavirus. There’s a number for Orange County, too.
The Florida Department of Health’s number is 1-866-779-6121 and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can also email questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
In Orange County, the number to call is 407-723-5004; it’s available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For accurate, up-to-date information, visit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
The Florida Department of Health: floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19. For questions, call the COVID-19 call center at 866-779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
A live map of COVID-19 cases around the globe: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
You want to be extra-prepared? Here’s how to stock up before a pandemic: ready.gov/pandemic
For the latest coronavirus updates, visit OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus and follow @orlandosentinel on Twitter.
See complete coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.