Florida\u00a0Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a>\u00a0announced on Friday that he\u00a0is lifting major\u00a0coronavirus-era<\/a>\u00a0restrictions on\u00a0restaurants<\/a>\u00a0and other\u00a0businesses<\/a>\u00a0in a push to boost the state’s\u00a0economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Republican<\/a>\u00a0governor’s move comes even as he acknowledged that the pandemic was far from over.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not closing anything going forward,\u201d he told reporters, insisting that the state is prepared if infections climb once again.<\/p>\n Florida<\/a>\u00a0has long been a COVID-19 hot spot, with\u00a0almost 700,000 people infected<\/a>\u00a0by the\u00a0virus<\/a>\u00a0since the pandemic gripped the nation in March.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0data from the Florida Department of Health<\/a>, nearly 14,000 Floridians have already died.<\/p>\n Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at the old Pan American Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, Tuesday in Miami. More than 40 intensive care units across the state have reached full capacity, according to government data released Tuesday. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On Friday, officials announced\u00a02,847 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 120 new fatalities,\u00a0according to the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Sunshine State’s caseload\u00a0increased over the summer<\/a>, but new infections have declined since then.<\/p>\n The initial outbreak forced\u00a0DeSantis to shutter bars and nightclubs<\/a>, and restricted restaurants to take-out dining.<\/p>\n Nationwide, the virus battered the American economy \u2014\u00a0leaving hundreds of thousands of Floridians out of a\u00a0job<\/a>.<\/p>\n Businesses have slowly reopened, and restaurants and bars are now\u00a0functioning at half capacity<\/a>.<\/p>\n DeSantis, a staunch supporter of\u00a0President Trump<\/a>, is likely to see pushback in a critical\u00a0battleground state<\/a>, where the pandemic has become a key issue.<\/p>\n The governor also\u00a0said he would stop cities and counties from collecting fines on people who don\u2019t wear face masks.<\/p>\n The Friday announcement will allow restaurants to immediately reopen at full capacity and would block cities and counties from ordering restaurants to close unless they can justify a closure for economic or health reasons.<\/p>\n![\"Florida](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1470\/828\/AP20189690058606.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
<\/picture><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/image-1-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n