The governor issued the extension via an executive order Tuesday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Tuesday, extending Florida’s state of emergency due to COVID-19.
The state of emergency was originally declared more than a year ago on March 9, 2020 when only eight Florida counties had positive cases of COVID-19. Since then, there have been confirmed cases reported across the state’s 67 counties.
In the past, Gov. DeSantis has extended the order in 60-day increments. And, this time was no different.
The original order activated the Florida National Guard to respond to the pandemic and started the process of getting financial aid from the federal government. It also put a pause on any bureaucratic red tape that would have hindered Florida’s ability to respond quickly to the crisis.
The order, which was last renewed in February, also made it possible for health care professionals who were licensed in other states to practice in Florida. That made it easier for more people to get medical attention.
As Florida Politics pointed out, some local government mask ordinances around the state were also tied to the state’s emergency order. Some of those would have expired automatically if DeSantis hadn’t extended it.