JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Friday morning in Jacksonville, at which time he announced that effective immediately, he is lifting restrictions on all youth activities, including summer camps and organized sports.
However, he said mayors and other local officials may pose certain restrictions on youth activities in their areas.
This comes one day after @MDCPS @MiamiSup said he would be making an announcement about #summercamps next week. You can hear that in full here: SOUND ON: https://t.co/I27j7cZ0LC https://t.co/TDRFMRO2UI
— Christina Vazquez (@CBoomerVazquez) May 22, 2020
The Florida Department of Health will put up some best practices and frequently asked questions on its website, but Florida officials are leaving it to parents to decide if they feel comfortable in allowing their children to resume activities after months of staying at home, DeSantis said.
The governor said he trusts that coaches and youth activity organizers will take all preventative measures necessary to keep children safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
DeSantis also stressed that children seemed to be less affected by COVID-19 than adults, although he said it was important to note that they are not immune to the virus.
“We in the state of Florida have observed zero fatalities under the age of 25 since the start of the pandemic,” DeSantis said.
The governor said there have been more COVID-19 deaths in Florida of people ages 90 and older than all those under the age of 65 combined.
The governor said the CDC has also reported that children are at a lower risk of being hospitalized by COVID-19 than from the flu.