Did DeSantis ‘unapologetically shut down Florida and its beaches?’

If you’re in a hurry: Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order that exempted outdoor activities, religious services, and other “essential activities,” citing guidelines from the Trump administration, that lasted one month. DeSantis issued no statewide beach closure order, but at the direction of the CDC and local officials, ordered Broward and Palm Beach County beaches to close in mid-to-late March. Reopening of the state began early May, drawing criticism from the Trump administration.

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – The weekend of former President Donald Trump’s South Carolina campaign event resulted in new criticisms on Gov. Ron DeSantis for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jan. 29, Trump said on his TRUTH Social media platform that “Ron DeSanctimonious […] unapologetically shut down Florida and its beaches.”

Claim: DeSantis shut down Florida’s beaches

In Florida, some Florida counties closed their beaches for a short period of time around April 2020, when COVID-19 broke out nationwide.

DeSantis took intense media fire in March 2020 when reports surfaced of people “PACKED” at Clearwater Beach “despite ‘social distancing’ recommendations.”

NBC News said DeSantis “refuses to shut down beaches amid spread of coronavirus” in a March 17, 2020 article.

“Florida won’t close its beaches. Here’s exactly what DeSantis said about that,” a March 19, 2020 report from POLITICO was headlined.

POLITICO said DeSantis refused to give a “statewide order to close the coasts” despite CNN and Democrats having “sound[ed] the alarm.”

“It’s irresponsible, the critics say, to keep beaches open during a pandemic that arrived just in time to greet Florida’s infamous spring breakers,” they said.

March 20, 2020, DeSantis signed Executive Order 20-70 to close down businesses and beaches in Broward and Palm Beach County.

DeSantis said the order was based on recommendations from local officials, but also Trump’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“That’s based off the recommendations of local officials but also the CDC recommendations, that when you do have community spread, then there’s additional items that should be on the list,” he said. “Southeast Florida is the epicenter of what we’re fighting in Florida, so we want to work constructively with the local folks.”

Not only did the governor not close beaches statewide, but he was sued by Democrat Daniel Uhlfelder for not doing so.

In a complaint filed in the Second Judicial Circuit, Uhlfelder contends DeSantis ‘has the responsibility to initiate immediate action to cope with the emerging health problems and try to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.’

Florida Politics, March 20, 2020

WEAR News also reported a list of beaches closed as of March 19, 2020, and noted there was “no formal order by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

At a March 2020 press conference, DeSantis emphasized people get outdoors and get “fresh air,” just not in “big groups.”

“And so if you have a Floridian that goes and walks their dog, like a married couple on the beach, as long as you’re not within six feet of each other, they view that as a healthy thing,” he said. “So I think it’s important to allow that if the local communities want to do it, to be able to do it.”

Claim: DeSantis unapologetically shut down Florida

More recently, DeSantis has said one of his regrets included “not opposing Trump Administration’s lockdown calls.”

On April 1, 2020, DeSantis issued the “Safer at Home” Executive Order 20-91 which permitted outdoor recreational activities such as visiting the beach and attending worship services, along with “essential activities.”

In his order, he cited the “efforts of President Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force to fight COVID-19” as rationale for some of the guidelines laid out, such as limiting movement unless necessary for “essential services” or “essential activities.”

The New York Times reported DeSantis changed his mind after a “phone call with President Trump and a grave reckoning.”

“After talk with Trump, Florida reverses course on coronavirus stay-at-home order,” an ABC headline read from April 1, 2020.

Some essential activities included attending religious services, outdoor recreational activities and exercise in small groups, taking care of pets, and caring for a love one or friend.

The order lasted for one month.

Even while the order was still in place, DeSantis was speaking with the Trump administration on a plan to reopen schools – which he was slammed for by one of Trump’s White House task force members, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“If you have a situation where you don’t have a real good control over an outbreak and you allow children together, they will likely get infected,” he said.

Schools ended up being reopened to in-person learning for the fall 2020 semester.

On DeSantis’ plans to begin reopening in April 2020, Trump said he would “overrule the governor, and I have that right to do it.”

“He hasn’t said he’s going to, but he’s thinking about it, so I’ll take a look at it,” Trump said.

In April 2020, Trump claimed to have “total authority” over whether states like DeSantis’ reopened.

“When somebody’s president of the United States, the authority is total. And that’s the way it’s got to to be. It’s total. It’s total. And the governors know that,” he said.

A tweet from Trump read something similar:

For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect. It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue. A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!

President Donald Trump, April 13, 2020

Not long after those remarks, CNN reported Trump told governors “You are going to call your own shots” on reopening.

States like Florida and Georgia, though, faced blowback from the Trump administration for opening “too quickly.”

Florida began its reopening process May 4, 2020, being one of the first states to reopen retail businesses and restaurants.

DeSantis signed Executive Order 20-139 for June 5, 2020, to reopen movie teachers, gyms, and other businesses.

Not long after the move, the Trump administration slammed DeSantis’ reopening efforts, saying they came “too quickly.”

“There are some times when despite the guidelines and the recommendations to open up carefully and prudently, some states skipped over those and just opened up too quickly,” Fauci said.

“Certainly Florida I know, you know, I think jumped over a couple of checkpoints.”