TAMPA, Fla. - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced tighter guidelines for the state, including closing all bars and nightclubs for 30 days.
The closure begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The decision comes after nearly 200 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The decision comes on St. Patrick’s Day, when bars are usually packed in celebration. The governor said Tuesday morning he noticed there are still large groups of people congregating at bars. “We view that as something that could be problematic for the spread the virus.
If they’re not meeting in these big groups, the chance that they will pass it on is less,” he said. DeSantis also said all restaurants must now be at 50-percent capacity and seating must be staggered.