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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to keeping restaurants open and criticizing other areas of the country like New York City where indoor dining has been suspended despite evidence that most coronavirus infections can be traced to small gatherings at homes.
The Republican governor hosted a press conference at the Okeechobee Steakhouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he met with restaurant employees and business owners to discuss "safeguarding the right to earn a living" as the pandemic persists. He noted that there are about 40 states that have higher COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations per capita than Florida.
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"At a time when folks in our service industries, particularly in restaurants, lodging, and hospitality, have taken it on the chin, particularly in some other states that have been completely shut down, we just want to send the message — some may shut you down. We want to pull you up," DeSantis said.
"We got your back if you’re somebody who is a waitress or a cook you’re a family-owned business — you’re an important part of our state," the governor continued. "You’re working folks who are working hard to make a living. You have every right to do that and you can take it to the bank in the state of Florida. You’re going to have that right defended by the governor."
DeSantis criticized New York City shutting down indoor dining Monday, noting that just 1.4% of cases are traced to restaurants and bars. The restaurant industry in the Big Apple is expected to take a greater hit as outdoor dining was forced to stop at most businesses preparing for a heavy snowstorm.
"We have to understand that the vast, vast majority of infections are occurring in people’s homes, particularly if you have people getting together, so closing a restaurant for indoor dining is going to lead to more people doing that in private homes anyway," DeSantis said. "Even if you think that it’s more than just 1.4%, the appropriate response is to inform people about situations where you may have a higher risk. Not to shut down. Let individuals make decisions about what they’re comfortable doing."
DeSantis said he was at Tampa General Hospital Monday to sign the FedEx form for the first vaccines delivered in Florida. He said the state had received 180,000 doses from Pfizer to be divided between five hospitals﹘Tamps Memorial, Broward Memorial, UF Health Shands Hospital, Jackson Memorial in Miami, and Advent Health in Orlando﹘to be given to front-line health care workers as a beta test.
Additional shipments from Moderna were expected to come later in the week, as DeSantis explained the biggest challenge now is not spread at restaurants -- but mitigation to distribute vaccines to health care workers who are at the greater risk of exposure to the disease, and then into nursing homes. He commended businesses like Okeechobee Steakhouse that follow strict safety and sanitary protocols to keep its customers and employees safe.
"I’m very blessed to have Gov. DeSantis keeping us open," Theresa Hodgdon, a server and bartender who’s worked at the steakhouse for 14 years, said at the press conference, appearing to choke up as she explained she’s a single mother supporting two children. "I would have lost everything, so I’m a blessed mother and I hope that we can still stay open. Everybody do what they’re supposed to do. If you’re sick, stay home. If you want to come out, were are here for you and we are 100% committed."
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Sharing a clip from the conference, DeSantis tweeted, "Thank you, Theresa, for sharing your story. I will keep fighting for your family and the right of all Floridians to continue earning a living."
Florida recorded 9,439 new cases on Monday, according to the state health department dashboard.
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