Florida makes plans for dealing with novel coronavirus during hurricane season

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ā€“ As Florida slowly reopens, officials are contemplating what they should do if the coronavirus outbreak lingers into hurricane season.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the virus will be around in some form during hurricane season, and the state needs to rethink how to provide shelter for evacuees without spreading the disease.

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Hurricane season begins June 1 and usually peaks from late August through September.

Florida is often a target for storms, forcing thousands of people to evacuate with many fleeing to shelters.

Florida has had more than 37,000 confirmed coronavirus cases resulting in nearly 1,500 deaths.

DeSantis partially lifted his ā€œsafer at homeā€ order Monday, allowing restaurants and retail shops to begin operating at 25% capacity in areas other than Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.