Recent Developments in Florida in Response to COVID-19

Today, Palm Beach County joined the rest of the state, with the exception of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, in Phase I of the plan to re-open the state.   That Phase I is set forth in Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-112 which was issued on April 29, 2019 and went into effect in all counties, except for Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, last Monday, April 4, 2020. On Friday, April 8, 2020, the governor announced that Palm Beach County, too, would begin Phase I.

To summarize, amongst the most pertinent portions of  Executive Order 20-112  are the following:

• Restaurants may open to provide services on premises, limited to 25 percent of their occupancy capacity as long as proper social distancing  measures are in place
• Retail stores, too, may open, provided that “they operate at no more than 25 percent of their building occupancy and abide by the safety guidelines issued by the CDC and OSHA”
• Subject to restrictions imposed by local governments, museums and libraries can open at 25 percent occupancy capacity
• Elective medical procedures may resume, subject to the conditions set forth in the Executive Order

Broward and Miami-Dade Counties remain the only two counties in Florida that have not begun Phase I of the re-opening plan described in Executive Order 20-112  although it does appear that discussions are ongoing for Broward County to also begin Phase I shortly.

In addition, on May 4, 2020, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady issued Amendment #1 to Administrative Order 20-23.  Amendment #1 continues the suspension of civil and criminal jury trials and grand jury and jury selections proceedings through July 2, 2020 and actually expands the list of court proceedings that will be conducted remotely.

As the law continues to evolve on these matters, please note that this article is current as of date and time of publication and may not reflect subsequent developments. The content and interpretation of the issues addressed herein is subject to change. Cole Schotz P.C. disclaims any and all liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this publication to the fullest extent permitted by law. This is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Do not act or refrain from acting upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining legal, financial and tax advice.  For further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to your firm contact or to any of the attorneys listed in this publication.