No Safer at Home Order for Sarasota County

SARASOTA -- Hillsborough, Pinellas and other Florida counties have issued "safer at home" orders, designed to discourage non-essential work and travel to blunt the coronavirus curve. But Sarasota County doesn't plan to.

At a news conference Monday, county administrator Jonathan Lewis expressed the opinion that such an order would go against the chain of command coming down from the feds and Governor DeSantis.

Lewis told reporters that such orders are redundant because they merely reiterate guidelines established in Washington and Tallahassee. He also said Sarasota County residents are "smart" and "competent" people who are "making good choices" every day.

Also at the news conference, Sarasota Sheriff Tom Knight said drivers with license plates from New York or other states don't have to worry about getting pulled over by deputies because of COVID-19. Knight says many of those drivers are seasonal residents and have been in the state all winter.

Knight also says Sarasota County residents have been obeying a new directive from the governor and FWC designed to extend social distancing to boaters.

Photo: Getty Images


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