DeSantis orders passengers flying in from tri-state area to self-isolate for 2 weeks

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Monday night, requiring anyone on a flight to Florida coming out of New York, New Jersey or Connecticut to self-isolate for 14 days.

“As many of you know, one of the concerns I had seeing what was happening in New York City was that after the stay-at-home, shelter-in-place order was issued you started having people flood out of New York City, including taking hundreds of flights from the New York City area -- direct flights to the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “That’s obviously a big problem because that’s the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the entire world right now.”

“There’s over 190 direct flights from the New York City area to the state of Florida, and I would reckon, given the outbreak there, that every single flight has somebody on it who is positive for COVID-19,” the governor added.

DeSantis believes his latest executive order will prevent the new coronavirus from spreading.

He called New York and the surrounding tri-state area a “hot spot” for COVID-19.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, Florida Department of Health workers, airport security personnel and the National Guard were briefed about the order Tuesday morning at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

They were later captured on video speaking directly to arriving passengers.

“We will continue to do that and probably expand in some of the smaller airports, but certainly the major airports that get the most traffic from New York City were covered,” DeSantis said. “And then what we’ll do is take that information and share it with some of the local communities so that they can make sure they are keeping an eye on folks who very well may be infected.”

Airport officials said flights from New York LaGuardia, Newark, and John F. Kennedy International Airport have been nearly cut by half at FLL.