Suzette Cook
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that a record number of test results were reported on May 4th registering a 2.6 percent positivity rate for that day.
From the mid-day briefing held at the University Town Center testing site in Sarasota, DeSantis said 23,884 results were reported on Monday.
The tests “yielded 589 new Florida cases,” DeSantis said. “Has got to be the lowest percent positive since we started major testing.”
DeSantis said while other parts of the U.S. are showing mixed positivity rates of up to 50 percent, Florida continues to decline.
“We haven’t been above 6 percent in two weeks,” DeSantis said. “Part of that is because we have worked so hard to increase testing.
“We are earmarking 400 tests a day through here, Desantis said about the Sarasota testing site. The site will then raise the number to 700 per day.
The governor emphasized that anyone in Florida can call the local Florida Department of Health office to schedule an appointment free of charge.
Florida began its Phase 1 opening on May 4th. Hospitals opened up for elective treatments, restaurants opened dining areas inside and outside and retail businesses beyond the essential list opened their doors with reduced 25 percent capacity restrictions.
When asked about the safety of dining out DeSantis said he and his family are ready to get back out into the community and patronize local businesses. “Absolutely,” he said.
“All these small business folks, mom and pop restaurants are really important parts of the community,” he said.
Then he said alcohol-to-go sales allowed by the emergency order turned out to be one of the more popular adaptations that restaurants put in place.
“We’re probably going to keep that going,” DeSantis said. “Maybe we’ll have the legislature change the law on that.”