TALLAHASSEE, FL — Saying there is probably someone who has tested positive for the new coronavirus on every flight from the New York City area, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order Monday night requiring all incoming air passengers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to self-quarantine for 14 days.
“That’s the only way we can be sure that that virus is not going to be reintroduced in the state of Florida and then spread,” the governor said during a late afternoon press conference.
Speaking from his Tallahassee office, DeSantis said representatives will most likely meet each of the more than 190 direct flights per day that land in Florida from the New York City area.
“We’ll likely have local law enforcement or state law enforcement, and then we’ll have someone from the (Florida) Department of Health,” the governor said. “So, basically they’ll have to meet on the flight.”
The governor’s order affects “all persons whose point of departure originates from outside the state of Florida in an area with substantial community spread, to include the New York Tri-State area” defined as Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.
“There’ll be some information taken and I think they are going to do temperature checks and they’re going to be told ‘you need to self-quarantine.'”
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The quarantine starts from the time the person lands in Florida and lasts for 14 days or until the person leaves Florida, whichever is shorter.
The order takes effect Tuesday. It does not apply to airline employees and people “performing military, emergency or health response,” according to the document. Travelers will be responsible for their own transportation, lodging, food, medical care or any other expenses.
DeSantis said flights from Wuhuan and Milan have already been stopped.
“I just think it would be unacceptable to continue to allow it to simply coming in for people who are fleeing a shelter-in-place order in those states,” DeSantis said of the travelers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The governor said travelers may not self-quarantine with family members in Florida. “That is not self-quarantining because the number one way this is transmitted is close contact, very frequently family members,” DeSantis insisted.
Violators face fines up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
The governor pointed to the case of a man who was recently banned for life from flying on JetBlue after taking a flight from the New York City area to Palm Beach International Airport. He tested positive for COVID-19.
DeSantis said he had no plans to issue a stay-at-home order for Florida, noting that hundreds of thousands of Floridians could potentially lose their jobs if such an order were issued for the entire state.
“If you look at Florida’s situation right now, this is not a virus that is impacting every corner of the state,” DeSantis said. “We have 20 counties that have zero cases at all and we about 25 counties that really have only a few cases. Some have two, some have five. Some have seven.”
The governor acknowledged it would be difficult to stop people from the New York City area from entering Florida via automobile.
“It’s just not practical to do the automobiles,” DeSantis said. “When you’re on that airplane you’re potentially exposing the other people, certainly the people who are close to you.”