Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Monday invalidating local governments' pandemic-related states of emergency, citing the availability of vaccines for those age 16 and older as his reason for doing so. The order comes after DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 2006, which will allow a governor to override local emergency orders. The law takes doesn't take effect until July 1, but DeSantis issued the executive order rescinding pandemic restrictions in the interim.

“The fact is, we’re no longer in a state of emergency,” DeSantis said at a press conference in St. Petersburg on Monday, adding that the executive order only effects local government-mandated orders, not mask requirements or social distancing policies enforced by businesses. He added that ending restrictions was the "evidenced-based thing to do."

The state of Florida reported 3,155 new Covid-19 cases on May 2, with 33 of those in Sarasota County and 54 in Manatee County.