HEALTH ALERT: Florida Dept. of Health issues additional public health advisory for COVID-19

New FL-DOH advisory recommends all** individuals to wear masks in public in any setting where social distancing is not possible, encourages elderly and vulnerable populations to limit interactions outside of the home, and urges all individuals to refrain from participating in gatherings of more than 50 people

From the Florida Department of Health

The Florida Department of Health (Department) issued an additional Public Health Advisory on Saturday in response to COVID-19, providing recommendations to protect Floridians and visitors from this virus. This advisory is in addition to steps that the Department has taken to increase mitigation measures, including the purchase of 20 million cloth masks, which are actively being distributed statewide.

Governor DeSantis also directed the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to increase inspections to ensure that businesses are adhering to applicable Phase 1 and Phase 2 guidance.

The Public Health Advisory provides the following recommendations:

**All individuals in Florida should wear masks in any setting where social distancing is not possible, unless any of the following apply:

A child is under two years of age;

An individual has one or more medical conditions or disabilities that prevent wearing a face covering;

An individual is obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;

An individual works in a profession where use of a face covering will not be compatible with the duties of the profession; or

An individual is engaged in outdoor work or recreation with appropriate social distancing in place.

All individuals over the age of 65 and all individuals of any age with high-risk health conditions should limit personal interactions outside of the home and take all measures to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

All individuals should refrain from participation in social or recreational gatherings of more than 50 people. For all gatherings of fewer than 50 people, individuals should practice social distancing by maintaining a distance of at least six feet from each other and wearing a face covering.

This is a reinforcement of the previously issued advisory as well as direction that has been provided in the task force report for a Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.