Governor Ron DeSantis is assembling a task force to help study and implement ways to reopen businesses in the state of Florida.
Speaking at his daily press briefing on Wednesday, DeSantis told members of the media that he would use the task force to “very quickly” come up with solutions to end the Sunshine State’s lengthy shutdown.
“Time is of the essence, and we want to make sure we’re getting the best ideas possible,” DeSantis told reporters in Tallahassee.
The governor said the task force has yet to be assembled, but the names of those individuals will be released by the end of the week. He went on to say that he’ll be considering people from a variety of sectors, including elected officials and leaders in the business, education, and agriculture communities.
“I’ll be seeking advice and ideas on pretty much everything under the sun,” said DeSantis. “Small business, agriculture, restaurants, tourism, large events and conventions, recreation, international travel, K through 12, as well as higher education.”
The leaders selected will ultimately be tasked with finding safe ways to reopen restaurants, non-essential businesses, schools, and other everyday operations.
.@GovRonDeSantis announces the formation of a task force to re-open Florida. The members of this task force will be announced soon. To be clear: Florida will re-open when it is safe to do so.
— Helen Aguirre Ferré (@helenaguirrefer) April 15, 2020
Currently, Florida is under a safer-at-home order until April 30.
While it is unclear whether DeSantis will extend the stay-at-home order, many insiders believe he will gradually attempt to reopen parts of the state after he signaled last week the possibility of reopening schools in Florida.
DeSantis did not say when he plans to re-open the state and under what conditions, but he did note that he’s been in contact with the White House, and will continue to follow their advice.