White House Task Force calls for Florida to close down bars, restaurants

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB) - The White House Coronavirus Task Force is calling for the closure of bars, restaurants, and gyms in the state of Florida due to the rise in hospitalizations from COVID-19.

During a state budgetary overview on Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated his stand against locking down the economy in the state.

“We believe every job is essential,” said the governor. “You work in a restaurant, we have your back. If you are a hair stylist, we protect your right to earn a living and if you are a parent we ensure your kids have the right to in-person learning. Lockdowns do not work.”

‘Florida Leads’ was the theme of this year’s budget proposal, and the Governor says despite a pandemic ravaged economy, Florida is doing better than most states - stating lower unemployment numbers compared to other states.

“Florida led by focusing our vaccination efforts on our 65 and older population, we rejected recommendations that were not evidence-based, we put seniors first,” he said.

DeSantis did shutdown bars and restaurants in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. However, the shutdown caused tremendous hardship on the state’s tourist and service industry.

The governor did not see a shutdown in the state’s future.

“Every Floridian has a right to work, all businesses have a right to operate and Florida is better for it,” said DeSantis.

The recommendations for Florida’s yearly budget is $96.6 billion - $2.6 billion are costs related to the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response.