With the number of Covid-19 infections surging and testing data still lagging, state Senator Lori Berman (D-Delray Beach) on Tuesday called on Governor Ron DeSantis to close non-essential businesses and issue a stay home order to protect the people of Florida.
“This is not an easy call to make, but it is the right one,” said Senator Berman. “We need look no further than the infection rate and death toll in Italy or Spain to understand the consequences of a timid response. The faster we shut down the transmission routes, the quicker we can move toward recovery.”
Senator Berman’s call echoes others made by prominent Democrats in Florida, including Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who first called on the governor to issue a statewide “stay-at-home” order last week.
“Tracking information continues to show the virus will continue to spread if we don’t take a stronger approach that only a complete shut-down of non-essential businesses will accomplish,” Senator Berman said.
“Let’s not put more Floridian’s lives at risk. We must join California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania and every other state that has imposed a complete shelter-in-place order.”
Thus far, the governor has chosen to take a piecemeal approach, leaving vulnerable large swaths of Florida’s population to the spread of the disease as seemingly healthy individuals who may be unaware they are even carrying the virus continue to move freely about the state.
As of last night, Palm Beach County has confirmed 89 cases of Covid-19, the third highest in the state. So far, three patients have died from the disease.
