Outdoor restaurant in Fort Lauderdale on May 18. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that bars and clubs will be allowed to reopen on Friday, as the state continues to scale down restrictions it put in place because of the coronavirus, WCTV reports.
Why it matters: DeSantis ordered bars and clubs to close in mid-March as one of the first actions the state took to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
How it works: The order, which is part of the state's phase two reopening plan, applies to all but three counties with the highest rates of coronavirus infections.
- Bars and clubs will be allowed to operate at half-capacity indoors and full-capacity outdoors, per state rules.
- Movie theaters and bowling alleys will also be able to reopen at half-capacity, as will personal services businesses like barbershops and tattoo parlors that follow health department guidelines.
Of note: The Florida Department of Health reported on Wednesday the number of new COVID-19 cases since April 17, with 1,317 testing positive in a single day, taking the state's infection total to 58,764.
Go deeper: Coronavirus hospitalizations keep falling
Editor's note: This article has been updated with the new coronavirus data.