On 04-01-20, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order to provide guidance to all Floridians, and anyone temporarily in the state of Florida, limiting movement and activities to only those deemed essential and necessary.
The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on 04-03-2020 and will remain in effect through 04-30-2020 unless extended.
A brief summary of the order is as follows:
Section 1 – Stay at Home
Senior citizens and individuals with significant underlying medical conditions (such as chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, immunocompromised status, cancer, diabetes, severe obesity, renal failure, and liver disease) shall stay at home and take all measures to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
All persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their homes, to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services, or conduct essential activities.
Section 2 – Essential Services
For the purposes of the order and the conduct it limits, essential services’ means and encompasses the list detailed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, v. 2 (March 28, 2020) and any subsequent lists published,.
Essential Services also include those businesses and activities designated by Executive Order 20-89 and its attachments.
Nothing in the order prohibits individuals from working from home. The order encourages individuals to work from home.
All businesses are encouraged to provide delivery, carry-out, or curbside service, outside of the business, of orders placed on-line or via telephone, to the greatest extent practicable.
Section 3 – Essential Activities
For the purpose of this order and the conduct it limits, essential activities’ means and encompasses the following:
o Attending religious services conducted in churches, synagogues, and houses of worship; and
o Participating in recreational activities (consistent with social distancing guidelines) such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running, or swimming; and
o Taking care of pets; and
o Caring for or otherwise assisting a loved one or friend.
Other essential activities may be included to the list with the approval of the State Coordinating Officer, in close coordination with the State Health Officer.
A social gathering in a public space is not an essential activity. Local jurisdictions shall ensure that groups of people greater than 10 people are not permitted to congregate in any public space.
Citizens are reminded this is ONLY a SUMMARY of the Governor’s Executive Order. Citizens are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to read the entire document which can be found by following the link below – https://www.flgov.com/2020-executive-orders/
This summary should not replace an individual’s reading of the actual order.
Additionally, operators in the HCSO Emergency Communications Center are being inundated with questions regarding the Governor’s order. While the operators would like to provide assistance, they are not attorneys.
The Office of Sheriff:
The Office of the Sheriff is established by the Florida Constitution. As a constitutional officer, the Sheriff has the exclusive authority to administer his or her agency and is responsible for preserving the peace throughout the entire county, carrying out the laws of the state, the orders of Florida courts, and the ordinances of the Board of County Commissioners. The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement and correctional officer of the county.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis was initially appointed as the Sheriff of Hernando County by the Governor in January of 2011. He was then elected by the people of Hernando County in 2012, ran unopposed in 2016, and remains accountable to them.
