Gov. DeSantis meets in Fort Myers to discuss increasing restaurant capacity

The state's top business regulator has announced that bars can reopen next week.

ELECTION.I’M PATRICK NOLAN.

THE NEWSSTARTS RIGHT NOW.BARS GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS!THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.

I’MPATRICK NOLAN.

THE STATE GAVETHE WORD TONIGHT ..

BARS AREALLOWED TO REOPEN AT 50 PERCENTCAPACITY AS OF MONDAY.

THISCOMES AFTER THE GOVERNOR AND THEHEAD OF STATE AGENCY THATREGULATES RESTAURANTS CAME TFORT MYERS TODAY.SANDRA RODRIGUEZ JOINS US LIVEWITH THE LATEST.WELL, ONE OF THOSERESTAURANTEURS AT TODAY’SMEETING WITH GOVERNOR DESANTISWAS THE OWNER OF BUBBAS HE SAYSWHAT RESTAURANTS REALLY NEEDRIGHT NOW IS TO BE ABLE TOINCREASE THE CAPACITY THEIR ABTO SIT INDOORS(00-05)(27-34)"We’re not where we want to bewith the restaurants, we want tocontinue to make progress."TODAY━ GOVERNOR RON DESANTISMET WITH RESTAURANT OPERATORS INFORT MYERSTHE MEETING CENTERING ON HOW THEPANDEMIC HAS IMPACTEDRESTAURANTS AND WHAT THE STATESHOULD DO NEXT"My goal is that every Floridanshould be able to go to work,every business should be able tooperate."THE BIGGEST REQUEST COMING FROMRESTAURANT OPERATORS WASINCREASING RESTAURANT CAPACITY"I think that’s the next logicalstep, is increasing capacity,and also to take a look at the6-foot rule that we’re under."JAY JOHNSON━ OWNER OF BUBBA’SROADHOUSE AND SALOON IN CAPECORAL━ WAS ONE OF THERESTAURANTEURS AT THURSDAY’SMEETING"So that we’re able to bring allof our employees back and putthem back to full time."DESANTIS AGREEING SAYING HEDOESN’T BELIEVE REOPENINGRESTAURANTS IS A MAJOR SOURCEFOR THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS."The places that closedrestaurants versus didn’t, therewas no difference.

You know,obviously you can get infectedin a restaurant just like youcan get infected if you’rearound anywhere."DESANTIS ALSO SAYING HE WANTS TOMAKE PERMANENT A CHANGE THAT HASALLOWED RESTAURANTS TO SELLALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TO-GO DURINGTHE PANDEMIC"I’m going to keep that in placefor as long as the emergencyorder is in place but when thatemergency order is lifted, thenit’ll go back to status quo butI do think that it’s beensuccessful and I would encouragelegislature to make thatpermanent."GOVERNOR DESANTIS DID NOT GIVE ADIRECT TIMEFRAME ON WHENRESTAURANT CAPACITY WILLINCREASE BUT SAYS "SOON" LIVIN CAPE CORAL... SANDRARODRIGUEZ.

FOX 4 IN YOURCORNERBAR OWNERS ACROSS THE STATE AREPUMPED ABOUT THIS.

WE REACHEDOUT TO SEAN DUNNIGAN, OWNER OFOLLIE’S RECORDS AND BEER PUB INCAPE CORAL.

HE JUST OPENED LASTOCTOBER AND AFTER TWO SHUTDOWNSFEARED HE WOULD SOON HAVE TOSHUT THINGS DOWN FOR GOOD.

HETELLS US HE HOPES HE WON’T HAVETO CLOSE A THIRD TIME.I hope it sticks this time.

Ihope the other bars in the statethat were not folowing the