Florida is one of the last large states with no stay-at-home order


The Trump administration has not advised states to order residents to stay home, to the extent possible, to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, but more than 30 states have done so anyway. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order Tuesday that he said is "very close to" a statewide "stay-at-home" regime, calling it instead an "essential services and activities only" order. Florida, with a large elderly population and 6,741 confirmed COVID-19 cases plus 85 deaths as of Wednesday morning, has so far declined to join in the mandatory social distancing.
A University of Washington epidemiologist who advises the White House coronavirus task force said Tuesday he's urged Florida to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), asked about that advice later Tuesday, said President Trump's task force "has not recommended that to me. If they do, obviously that would be something that carries a lot of weight with me. If any of those task force folks tell me that we should do X, Y, or Z, of course we’re going to consider it. But nobody has said that to me thus far."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert on the White House task force, tiptoed up to advising all governors to order lockdowns in an interview with NBC's Samantha Guthrie on Tuesday night. "Stay-at-home orders," he said, "they're kind of complicated for people to really adhere to," but "what every single state should do in this country is very strictly follow the guideline groups," including "no unnecessary travel, telework when you possibly can, no crowds more than 10 people, six feet away from individuals."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, suggests Florida step up its efforts.
The "model from the University of Washington is projecting absolutely dire circumstances in Florida — and they assume Florida has a better policy response than they have," MSNBC's Rachel Maddow agreed Tuesday night. Watch her interview with the UW epidemic modeler below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The rise and rise of VTubers
Under The Radar This anime-inspired internet subculture is going global
By Abby Wilson
-
Book reviews: 'The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip' and 'Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service'
Feature The tech titan behind Nvidia's success and the secret stories of government workers
By The Week US
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
By The Week US
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US