During Friday's coronavirus update, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stressed the importance of Floridians preparing for hurricane season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news conference was held at the Home Depot in Boca Raton, Florida on the first day of the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. DeSantis was joined by the Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz along with Boca Roton officials.
“Every Florida resident and visitor needs to be ready for hurricane season and have a plan in place in case disaster strikes,” DeSantis said. “Through past storms and this unprecedented COVID-19 emergency, Floridians have demonstrated how resilient we are in the face of adversity. We must continue to be diligent and prepare now with the proper supplies.”
The sales tax holiday runs from March 29 until June 4. During the seven-day event, Floridians can get critical supplies for hurricane preparedness such as water, medicine, flashlights, batteries, and generators, tax-free.
“This year, it’s more important than ever to have seven days of supplies ready for hurricane season,” Moskowitz said. “The forecasts are calling for an active hurricane season and now is the time to prepare. I’m urging every Floridian to take advantage of this sales tax holiday to get these critical supplies like food, water and medicine and remember to also have COVID-19 supplies like hand sanitizer, a mask and disinfectant wipes in your disaster kit.”
During the news conference, DeSantis also announced the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) has partnered with Home Depot and Publix to establish six additional COVID-19 testing sites.
The FDEM is providing staffing and personal protective equipment at the sites and each of the sites will be able to conduct up to 100 tests per day. Tests will be sent to Quest Diagnostics and results will be available within 5 to 7 days.
“Accessible COVID-19 testing statewide has been a top priority of my administration during the state’s response to COVID-19,” DeSantis said. “Our private-sector partners have been a vital component of the state’s COVID-19 response. We know how important it is to ensure every Floridian has the opportunity to be tested for COVID-19 and I’m looking forward to working with Home Depot and Publix as we expand this availability even further.”
One of the testing sites will be the Boca Raton Home Depot where the news conference was held. The state is working with Home Depot and Publix to determine the best locations for the rest of the testing sites. These testing sites will begin as a pilot program, with the possibility of future expansion.