Governor Issues Stay at Home Order for State of Florida

Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-91 implementing a stay-at-home order as a result of COVID-19. The Order will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, April 3rd.

The Order mandates that Florida residents stay at home to the extent possible and only leave as necessary to provide essential services or conduct essential activities. This is especially important to those deemed as most vulnerable including senior citizens and those with certain medical conditions such as lung disease, asthma, serious heart conditions, autoimmune disorders, cancer, diabetes, severe obesity, renal failure and kidney disease.

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), “If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcare services, pharmaceutical, and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule”.

A complete list of essential businesses can be located on the CISA website at www.cisa.gov. Examples of essential businesses include, but are not limited to, communications and utility providers, public safety personnel, law enforcement, defense systems support, and functions of public works.

Other essential services have been outlined in Miami-Dade Emergency Order No. 07-20, and are included as an Exhibit to the Governor’s Executive Order No. 20-89 issued on March 19th. Those include other essential retail and commercial businesses such as banks, news/media outlets, gas stations and auto supply stores, businesses providing shipping services, laundromats, and more. Both Governor’s Orders can be located at www.flgov.com.

It’s important to note that essential businesses have the authority to determine individuals within their organizations as essential personnel. What this means is that even if you have one of the medical conditions outlined in the Governor’s Order, you may still be required to work as determined by your employer. If you have questions about this, you should contact your Human Resources Department.

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