With the number of Covid-19 infections surging and testing data still lagging, state Senator Victor Torres (D-Orlando) on Tuesday called on Governor Ron DeSantis to close non-essential businesses and issue a stay home order to protect the people of Florida.
“Leading experts on infectious diseases have been warning us for weeks now that so long as there are transmission routes for the coronavirus, the disease will continue to spread,” said Senator Torres. “States like New York, countries like Italy and Spain began shut downs only after the infection rate had grown exponentially and medical staff were quickly overwhelmed. Our most effective tool in limiting the damage this disease will cause to Floridians and our economy is to act while we still can.”
Senator Torres’ 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.
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.
Orange and Osceola Counties have seen their infection rates continue to grow. As of Tuesday morning, there have been 50 reported cases in Orange and 26 in Osceola. Thus far, three Orange County patients have died from the disease. Both Orange and Osceola Counties have instituted a nightly curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am, now the State needs to implement a statewide shelter-in-place order.
