Florida Surgeon General sends phone alert warning people 65+ to stay home

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Get a text message from the Florida Surgeon General on Saturday?

You likely received an alert on your phone warning that people age 65 or older, or people with pre-existing medical conditions should stay home. There was also a reminder to continue practicing social distancing.

It’s all due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Gov. DeSantis brought it up during an afternoon news conference.

“Now’s not the time to go outside and don’t get involved with any big crowds, make sure you’re doing the proper hygiene and just use this time to protect yourself,” DeSantis said. “We know that the evidence continues to come in, that this is a virus that does particularly target those who have some significant underlying medical conditions and those who are elderly.”

The governor also revealed that a traveler from New York who tested positive for COVID-19 was intercepted in Jacksonville. On Friday, DeSantis expanded his quarantine order to include Louisiana after officials in the lightly hit Panhandle worried people will flee New Orleans as the number of positive tests there climb.