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'We're talking about lives': Frustrated county commission boards to move forward with statewide safer-at-home order

Both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties will close all non-essential retail businesses like salons or insurance offices. Their hope is more people will stay home.

TAMPA, Fla. — The bottom line is: if you don't have to go out, don't.

Both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have had orders in place, so when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his own statewide order things got confusing.

"Let's do business governor. Stop playing games and let's do business. We're talking about people's lives now," Hillsborough County Chair Les Miller said. 

Miller is disappointed with the newest order because it undoes some of the restrictions already put in place in the county. One of them is the enforcement of how many people can congregate in a house of worship.

"The last executive order he said that our executive orders will be superseded by what he issues. That's fine, but today he turned around and says you can go to church. Well really? Medical professionals talk about how this is spread and people should congregate?" Miller said. 

While frustration continues, both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties will follow Governor DeSantis' order.

"Churches, according to the governor, are an essential business. Guns and ammo shops, healthcare facilities, pharmacies will all stay open," Pinellas County Chair Pat Gerard said.

Gerard says the governor's order doesn't change anything they had already put in place. 

"We were glad actually to see him put out a stay-at-home order that was pretty close to what we had put in place last week," Gerard said.

Both counties will close all non-essential retail businesses like salons or insurance offices. Their hope is more people will stay home.

"The whole point of all this is not to control what people are doing with their lives it's to save lives," Gerard said.

While county officials wait for more clarification from the governor, they will enforce the order that goes into effect Friday, April 3. Deputies in both Pinellas and Hillsborough will be looking for anyone who isn't following the law.

You can read the statewide order for yourself. We can text it straight to you. Just send the word 'HOME' to 727 577-8522.

RELATED: Florida's statewide 'safer-at-home' order: What changed? What does it mean?

RELATED: Tampa Bay leaders, Gov. DeSantis at odds over order allowing in-person religious services

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