Ron DeSantis Announces Gyms, Fitness Centers May Reopen in Florida Monday

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced at a press conference on Friday that gyms and fitness centers may reopen in the Sunshine State beginning Monday.

“Today, we are going to move into, effective Monday, into a full phase one,” the governor said in Jacksonville. “I think that this is appropriate given the progress that Florida has made.”

Effective Monday, gyms and fitness centers will be able to operate as individuals continue to “respect social distancing capacity.”

The governor also placed an emphasis on the sanitization of machines and surfaces after use, which he noted should be happening anyway.

“This is a respiratory virus that tends to attack people who have health problems or are not in good physical condition. So don’t we want people to stay in shape?” he added.

Additionally, the governor said that restaurants and retail stores will be able to operate at a 50 percent capacity beginning Monday. Parks, he added, may submit reopening plans to the state.

That will bring Florida into phase one, DeSantis said, noting that he is not yet prepared to reintroduce movie theaters.

The governor, during the presser, explained that his administration has focused on protecting the most vulnerable, which he said was their “number one” priority from the beginning.

The bulk of coronavirus fatalities are linked to nursing homes in most states, he stated, attributing that, in part, to bad policy choices.

“We very early recognized this,” DeSantis said, noting that his administration required screenings for employees and vendors entering personal care facilities, required them to wear masks and gloves, and implemented restricted visitation on March 15.