JACKSONVILLE – Florida restaurants can increase their indoor seating capacity from 25% to 50% beginning Monday.
Retail operations can increase their capacity from 25% to 50% and gyms and fitness centers can reopen Monday at 50% capacity.
Bars, movie theaters and vacation rental operations remain prohibited statewide, but Gov. Ron DeSantis is now allowing individual counties to submit vacation rental reopening plans.
DeSantis announced these additional phase one reopening steps during his Friday afternoon press conference in Jacksonville. He said Florida is now headed into a full-fledged phase one reopening as a continuation of the initial phase one reopening strategies that started on May 4.
DeSantis set forth these additional measures in Executive Order 20-123. The order notes restaurants are no longer required to maintain a 6-foot distance between tables when expanding to 50% capacity.
“Bar counters are to remain closed to seating, and outdoor seating remains available with social distancing,” the order says.
Vacation rentals
During Friday’s press conference, DeSantis did not mention short-term vacation rentals until a member of the media asked about them. In response, DeSantis said he was not reopening short-term vacation rentals statewide, but individual counties can request short-term vacation rental openings.
According to EO 20-123, “Counties may seek approval to operate vacation rentals with a written request from the county administrator and the county’s safety plan for vacation rental operations submitted to the DBPR (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation) secretary.”
A pending lawsuit against DeSantis seeks to lift the vacation rental ban entirely.
On Saturday, Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea addressed the governor’s announcement in an email she sent to county commissioners, Anna Maria Island mayors and others.
“I am sure you have been receiving emails and telephone calls asking you to reopen vacation rentals in Manatee County based on the governor’s county-by-county directive on Friday afternoon. Tourism remains the top industry in Manatee County and vacation rentals are a critical part of the tourism industry network that runs so successfully in our county and your city,” Coryea wrote in her email.
“The governor’s directive gives local governments the ability to present a safety plan for vacation rental opening rules to the state for consideration. Local standards are to be guidelines which are both acceptable to the local community and that align with the governor’s ‘Safe. Smart. Step-By-Step Plan for Reopening Florida.’ The governor’s Reopen Florida Plan is a set of benchmarks and guidelines under which we have already followed to craft our own return to work plan for county operations,” Coryea wrote.
“In the coming days we will apply the same Safe. Smart. Step-By-Step guidelines for the board to consider that allow vacation rentals to reopen safely for visitors, vacation rental owners and hospitality staff. Your observations and experience in your city are important in this endeavor and will be considered as a part of the plan. As with all our reopening strategies to the County Commission, public health and safety will be at the forefront of the deliberations to address the vacation rental sector in Manatee County,” Coryea wrote in conclusion.
Coryea also distributed copies of a DBPR document containing additional information and safety measures for vacation rentals pursuant to EO 20-123, effective May 18 for counties that decide to allow vacation rentals.
The DBPR document says, “Effective May 18, the following measures are recommended as minimum standards for vacation rentals that are accepting reservations and guests for any length of stay:
- “Maintain adequate time between the conclusion of a guest stay and the check-in of the next guest stay for appropriate cleaning and sanitation;
- Clean and disinfect all frequently-touched surfaces in the property between each guest stay;
- Wash all linens, dishware, and other service items available for use by guests between each guest rental;
- Provide sufficient soap and surface sanitation supplies for guests to utilize in the vacation rental property during the guest’s rental period;
- Ensure adequate safety protocols are in place and publicly displayed, in line with CDC guidance, regarding shared or multi-residence amenities such as pools, gyms, and other communal spaces.”
Effective May 18, DBPR also recommends the following best practices for vacation rentals that are accepting reservations and guests for any length of stay:
- “Use mobile platforms for customer service and communication with guests, including the acceptance of payments by mobile or electronic methods;
- Minimize direct guest contact with property owners or managers through remote check-in and check-out procedures;
- Post signage or other notices regarding the cleaning practices that are completed prior to each guest stay;
- Display signage or notices to guests in the rental property to frequently remind guests to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the wiping and sanitation of touched surfaces.”
The county commission will meet on Tuesday, May 19 and the meeting agenda includes discussion of ongoing issues relative to the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency.
Bar protest planned
Bar owners and members of the Association of Independent Bar Owners of Manatee met with an attorney Saturday who volunteered to draft a letter to send to DeSantis and state legislators requesting that Florida’s bars and nightclubs be allowed to reopen.
Via executive order that took effect on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), DeSantis closed all Florida bars and nightclubs that generate more than 50% of their revenue from alcohol sales.
In conjunction with the attorney’s letter, an organized protest is scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon and begin between 3:30 and 4 p.m. at the Wade Thompson law office at 1720 Manatee Ave W. in Bradenton.
Organizers encourage protest participants to wear masks and gloves and practice social distancing to display the industry’s willingness to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines. Several Anna Maria Island bar owners and bartenders have indicated they plan to participate in Tuesday’s protest.
A petition to reopen Florida’s bars and nightclubs has also been initiated at www.MoveOn.org.
