Florida Enters Phase 3 Business Recovery

The Okaloosa County Office of Emergency Management and the Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that Florida has entered Phase 3 Business Recovery.

Executive Order 20-244 does the following: 

• Removes state-level restrictions on businesses, such as restaurants.
• Provides that no COVID-19 emergency ordinance may prevent an individual from working or operating a business, giving Floridians and business owners needed certainty and the ability to provide for themselves and their families.
• Provides that restaurants may not be limited by a COVID-19 emergency order by any local government to less than 50% of their indoor capacity. If a restaurant is limited to less than 100% of its indoor capacity, such COVID-19 emergency order must satisfy the following:

1. Quantify the economic impact of each limitation or requirements on those restaurants; and
2. Explain why each limitation or requirement is necessary for public health.
3. Suspends all outstanding fines and penalties, and the collection of such moving forward, applied against individuals related to COVID-19.