WLRN 91.3 FM | By Jim Saunders / News Service of Florida. Cardiovascular deaths rose in first years of COVID, study says. Visitors still find welcoming lodging options, wide-open spaces, endless blue water for diving and fishing, eco-tourism activities, unique attractions and a laid-back atmosphere where they can relax and recharge. Ron DeSantis and State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced significant changes to Floridas COVID-19 guidance Thursday. So have hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to recommend the wearing of facial masks/coverings, even for individuals who have been fully vaccinated, as part of a layered prevention strategy to safeguard against COVID-19. Some people might be more ready to go out maskless than others. The updated guidance language can be found, Governor Ron DeSantis Awards Over $1 Million to Moore Haven for Rural Infrastructure Improvements, Governor Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Dr. Joe Ladapo Buck CDC with New Official State Guidance, Pushing Back Against Corporate Masking for Employees, Updating Daycare Guidance to Limit Child Isolation to 5 Days, Updating the School Rule to Limit Student Isolation to 5 Days. Public beaches are open in the Florida Keys from sunrise to dusk. Dr. Mark Whiteside, medical director of the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, advises that wearing a surgical-type mask or facial covering can be effective, particularly for people who are not fully vaccinated. Personal Protective Actions While on Vacation. Currently, the CDC website lists all Central Florida counties as having a "low" level of COVID-19. The one for schools expired on March 1. Currently, there is not a statewide mandate in Florida making the wearing of facial masks required. Outdoor dining areas should be prioritized and requested. As for what The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, it varies based on its calculations of a community's transmission and risk levels. Concerts: Every event is different, so youll want to check the policy before buying your ticket. Los Angeles International, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International also eliminated their mask requirements. Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the agency is working on updating its guidelines, but they still encourage mask-wearing. Transportation: At Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, masks are still required inside the airport and on planes due to a federal mandate. Publix announced that it will no longer require fully vaccinated shoppers and workers to wear facial coverings . For people in areas where the risk of COVID is high, the CDC still advises that everyone wear masks in indoor public places. Monroe Countys state health department website. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. On Monday, the unions president appealed for calm on planes and in airports. Not at all. Individual businesses do have a right to require masks. They look for: New COVID-19 admissions and the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied represent the current potential for strain on the health system. Florida has always believed in providing all possible treatment options to health care providers and led efforts to make monoclonal antibody treatments available statewide. BETWEEN APRIL 14 AND APRIL . However, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Los Angeles city Department of Transportation continue to have website advisories stating face masks are required. You should continue to wear a mask where required by laws, rules, regulations, or local guidance to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. The coronavirus situation remains extremely fluid with the potential to change rapidly, even on a daily basis. What about hazardous waste? March 29, 2022, at 7:59 p.m. Florida, Other States Challenge CDC Transit Mask Rule. The bottom line: About 70 percent of Americans will be able to shed their masks while indoors. Masking remains mandatory for all in health care settings such as hospitals, doctors' offices and urgent care centers; long-term care facilities; and shelters. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. The new 5-day isolation guidance for COVID-19 issued by the Florida Department of Health is based on science and was informed by access to treatments, the benefits and harms of isolation, and widespread immunity. Both Key West International Airport and Florida Keys Marathon International Airport are operating normally. All Rights Reserved. And even if you decide to show your face to the world, some places might tell you to cover up. The state lifted its statewide mask mandate on Feb. 10. throw out a national mask mandate for public transportation across the U.S. At Aventura Mall and Brickell City Centre, for example, masks are recommended, but not required. Passengers on a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York, for instance, could ditch masks at their departing airport and on the plane, but would have to put them back on once they get off their flight in New York. Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tweeted Thursday that the agency is shifting its focus to concentrate on preventing the spread of COVID-19 to minimize the strain on the health care system. While this means that our employees are no longer required to wear a mask and no longer have to enforce a mask requirement for most of the flying public they will be able to wear masks if they choose to do so, as the CDC continues to strongly recommend wearing a mask on public transit, United Airlines said. The bill, filed by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, would put the prohibition on school mask requirements into state law. BRANDON, Fla. (CN) Declaring a new "freedom agenda," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed four bills into law on Thursday restricting mask and Covid-19 vaccine mandates in an effort to combat federal rules handed down by President Joe Biden. 1:06. Here is the latest advice. The states masking rule for businesses and workplaces expired on Feb. 11. Hospitals: Masks are required. Recreation: Parks, Attractions, Museums, Watersports and Beaches. Several governors have moved to ease mask requirements since Jan. 1. Contributors:Jeanine Santucci, Christine Fernando, Mike Stucka and Jennifer Sangalang,USAToday Network, C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiplenewsrooms across Florida. Sports venues: FTX Arena, home of the Miami Heat, requires everyone ages 2 and older to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to recommend the wearing of facial masks/coverings, even for individuals who have been fully vaccinated, as part of a layered prevention strategy. Doctors say there's good reason for that. EMS Director Dr. Todd Husty agrees with easing back rules. The University of Miami, for example, requires masks indoors but not outside. (Find all state-level policies and guidance on masks here.). You have the personal responsibility to protect yourself and others in terms of public health. We know that everyone has different comfort levels, and anyone who wants to continue wearing a mask is encouraged to do so. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Doctors say there's good reason for that. Remain quarantined in your hotel room/accommodations until you receive medical advice, and notify the hotel front desk of your situation. coronavirus-fighting robot named R2Key2 patrols the airports interior spaces, updated isolation and quarantine recommendations. About 37% of U.S. counties, or 56% of Floridians, still fall under this category. Ron DeSantis is pledging that he will not shut down businesses in the Sunshine state or impose mask mandates, predicting that the surge of coronavirus cases is a seasonal outbreak R A statewide indoor mask indoor mask mandate was lifted on the same day. FL Man AKA Sedition Panda Charged In Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Breach: DOJ, Winter Springs Manager Retires + DeSantis Attacks Orlando Leaders, More Than Just Theme Parks, Orlando Offers History, Nature And Art. Google Florida Keys doctors on your smartphone, call the front desk of your lodging property or contact a hospital emergency room at Mariners Hospital in the Upper Keys (305-434-3600), Fishermens Community Hospital in the Middle Keys (305-743-5533) or Lower Keys Medical Center (305-294-5531). Unlike CDC guidance, Floridas new masking guidance advises against wearing facial coverings in a community setting. New Jersey stopped requiring students and school employees to wear masks on March 7. To maximize protection from the virus and prevent possibly spreading it to others, individuals should wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an areaof substantial or high transmission. Florida lawmakers, at the request of Gov. This story was originally published February 16, 2022, 6:36 AM. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Face masks currently are required in all federal buildings and federal lands. New York City airports have so far left masks in place, with the exception of Newark Liberty International Airport, which is located across the Hudson River in New Jersey where masks are now optional. WUSF is reporting on how distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine exposes inequities in Floridas health care system. She previously covered all things Florida for the Herald as a Real Time/Breaking News Reporter. An executive order to the same effect, issued by the governor in January, was blocked in the courts. Florida recognizes that health care practitioners know best how to treat their patients. With no more federal mask mandate on planes and other forms of public transportation, many are wondering, "Where am I still required to wear a mask? For more details, including locations, please go to Monroe Countys state health department website. Evidence suggests that most secondary transmission occurs early on. However, individual businesses in the Keys may request that masks be worn . "I think we're going to start seeing this moving into the future, especially for people that have underlying co-morbidities, undergoing chemotherapy medications and even have major underlying conditions as well," Bahl said in a statement. The Florida law banning school mask mandates applies only to public schools and does not affect private schools. In her Thursday night tweets, Walensky said community infection rates will determine when and where extra precautions such as mask wearing and testing should be targeted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously recommended that people wear masks in areas with substantial or high transmission roughly about 95 percent of U.S. counties, according to the latest data. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics BUT WHEN YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL SETTING, YOURE GOING TO BE INTERACTING WITH GERMS, YOURE WALKING INTO A PETRI DISH AND NO DOUBT IT WILL NOT ONLY KEEYOP SAFE, BUT KEEP OTHERS SAFE, AS LL.WE AMAN:DA DR. RAJIV BAHL BELIEVES THE WEARING OF MASKS IN BOTH HEALTH CARE SETTINGS A BYND PEOPLE WHO MAY BE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED IS NOT ONLY HERE TO STAY, BUT HARIS SEN TO A NEW LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE. Previously, she worked as a news writer at WSVN Channel 7 and was a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow. All thirty-nine states (17 states with Republican governors and 22 states with Democratic governors) allowed statewide orders to expire. A new law enacted on Feb. 16 effectively barred mask mandates in schools, by giving parents the right to exempt their children from mask-wearing without stating a reason beginning March 1. In a White House briefing last week, she said hospital capacity is an important barometer., Our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes, she said. This guidance also reiterates that children attending daycare should never be forced to wear a mask this choice should always be made by the parent. Visitors are encouraged to be mindful of personal space, respect local regulations and practices (such as wearing face coverings when needed) and continue to take other measures to protect their health and that of their traveling companions. But that doesn't mean Floridians can toss their masks. Updated on November 11, 2022. . Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. A mask edict covering students and staff in the states schools was lifted Feb. 28. Dr. Rajiv Bahl, an ER doctor, believes wearing masks in both health care settings, and by people who may be immunocompromised, is not only here to stay but has also risen to a new level of acceptance. The CDC has a new mask guidelines map that shows risk levels by county. The CDC isnt ready to let up, yet. Key West International Airport was among the first airports in the United States to acquire one of the sophisticated units that provides non-chemical disinfection, according to a manufacturers representative. This puts South Florida under the medium risk level. Full Episode Tuesday . Highland Grove Landscaping & Farm is here for landscaping services, 2023 Hurricane, Tropical Storm Names Released For Atlantic Season, Check Out These Homes For Sale In Orlando, Pushing back against corporate masking for employees, Advising health care practitioners and facilities to re-evaluate status quo protocols in favor of "scientifically-based treatment options to benefit patients", Updating day care guidance to limit child Isolation to 5 days, Updating the school rule to limit student isolation to 5 days, Reducing isolation for Floridians with COVID to 5 days. Both . Executive Office of Governor Ron DeSantis. AND NOW THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU IN MOST PLACES TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO MASK UP OR NOT. Vacationers are encouraged to confirm with their property's management what household supplies such as linens, towels, pillows and beach towels are to be available based on the vacation home's occupancy. An indoor mask mandate, the final statewide masking rule in place, ended on March 25. A state law signed by Florida Gov. "It's been almost a year since Gov. But the court decision put the mandate on hold. Where am I still required to wear a mask? (Orlando Sentinel) Florida Gov. Our responsibility is to keep you informed, and to help discern whats important for your family as you make what could be life-saving decisions. Park operations vary based on local public health conditions. Florida is making it clear that healthy children in daycare do not need to quarantine; children in daycare who test positive for COVID-19 can return after five days, with no test required. The state guidelines will discourage mask-wearing and promote physicians prescribing off-label medications. Fully vaccinated school staff in grades 6-12 dont need to wear a mask. This is the second time since the week of Dec. 19 that Florida reported fewer than 100,000 cases in one week. Florida lawmakers drop school mask mandate punishment plan Instead, school districts that follow state mask rules will be rewarded. Some have eliminated the mandates entirely, while others have kept mask-wearing requirements in place for schools and medical facilities. The CDC has updated isolation and quarantine recommendations for the public. To stay connected with our comprehensive coverage of COVID-19 in Florida,sign up for ourCoronavirus Watch newsletter. The bottom line: About. In most public places in Central Florida, masks are not required. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/florida-court-ruling-on-national-transportation-mask-mandate-creates-pathwork-of-rules, Mixed reactions after U.S. travel mask mandate ends, WATCH: White House press secretary Psaki holds briefing after judge voids travel mask mandate, WATCH: Vice President Harris announces $3.7 billion boost for public transportation, Inconsistent data masks the pandemics toll on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. PublishedFebruary 25, 2022 at 8:08 AM EST, UpdatedFebruary 25, 2022 at 11:33 AM EST. He said things are different now. Retailers: Some stores might have a mask mandate in place. Share Tweet Pin . Please dispose of used masks, gloves and other personal items in waste containers. It means you're at less risk of catching COVID-19 than you are in high-risk counties, but anyone can still catch it and spread it. The voucher rule backed by the Board of Education aims to protect students from "COVID-19 harassment," a new term coined by state officials to give parents another outlet to avoid mask rules. Employees are still required to mask up indoors. The Brevard County School Board and several others defied executive orders and emergency rules from state agencies to mandate masks in schools this fall but none are challenging the state so far . Heres a look at how U.S. transportation centers and providers are responding: Major airlines were some of the first to update their rules after the court decision. At the establishment's discretion, masks or facial coverings may be requested. With todays actions, state guidance is now clear that practitioners will have the flexibility to make the decision to treat patients with off-label prescriptions if they determine that it may help the patient and it is something the patient would like to try and provides informed consent to try. This article will be updated as mask policies change. May 14, 2021 8:30 PM. The omicron variant of the coronavirus is highly contagious, but generally causes less severe COVID-19 illnesses than other variants, especially among people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, data shows. 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