Donald Trump has approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request to declare Florida a disaster area.
DeSantis made the request earlier this week, saying the coronavirus outbreak is having a “drastic effect” on the state’s economy and medical providers.
In his letter to Trump released late Monday, DeSantis said Florida’s hospitals and first responders are facing challenges rarely ever experienced.
DeSantis detailed that the state has already spent $208 million, and its medical system is already burdened, with limited testing showing more than 1,400 people infected and 17 deaths.
The governor’s declaration is a far cry from his previous position on the outbreak as recently as March 17th, when the man who had the power to close the beaches refused to do so.
According to NBC News, the governor told the media on the 17th that, “These are our neighbors who may need to go out there, clear their head.”
DeSantis defended the sight of on beachgoers and sunbathers crowding the beaches explaining then that it was “Because a lot of people are on edge now.”
