Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order on April 1 to begin at 12:01 a.m. on April 3. The order asks that all Floridians stay at home during the next 30 days and only leave the house for essential services and activities.

DeSantis decided to place the order after President Trump had earlier extended the national social distancing guidelines for an additional 30 days due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Florida.

Essential services and activities include visiting the grocery store, going to medical appointments or the pharmacy, and helping or supporting a friend or family member, but if you are planning on eating at a restaurant or going to the beach, stay home and practice social distancing. 

Florida has over 14,000 cases and 280 deaths as of April 7, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine website. Palm Beach County has over 1,000 cases and 60 deaths, being the third county in the state with the highest number of cases, following Broward and Miami Dade.

The CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of COVID-19. These include washing your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, covering your cough or sneezing into a tissue and cleaning frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household disinfecting wipes and sprays. 

Common symptoms of the virus include fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing. If you or someone you know has these symptoms, contact a doctor or your healthcare provider.