The Day After Florida Reopens, 107 Deaths

Florida reported 107 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday, a day after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he was lifting restrictions on restaurant capacity, the AP reports. The state also reported 2,795 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing its total since the pandemic began to just under 699,000. Overall, 14,190 people have died in Florida during the pandemic, including 168 non-residents. There were 2,109 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Saturday morning, or 26 fewer than the day before. Florida has had the third-most confirmed COVID-19 cases of any state, trailing only two larger states, California and Texas.

On Friday, DeSantis issued an order allowing restaurants throughout the state to immediately reopen at full capacity. The order prevents cities and counties from ordering them to close or to operate at less than half-capacity unless they can justify a closure for economic or health reasons. DeSantis also banned local fines against people who refuse to wear masks.

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