FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's congressional Democrats are blasting Gov. Ron DeSantis' refusal to issue a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
They said Tuesday that DeSantis' decision will result in thousands of unnecessary deaths, risk the health of doctors and nurses and threaten to overwhelm hospitals. Florida now has at least 6,300 confirmed infections and 76 deaths.
The Democrats said the Republican governor must drop his county-by-county approach and follow other hard-hit states by closing all non-essential businesses and ordering people to stay home except for essential trips such as buying groceries.
DeSantis has defended his approach, saying businesses and workers in unaffected counties shouldn't be punished.
