MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County has been under curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. for nearly three weeks. On Tuesday, county commissioners voted to lift the local curfew.
Under the curfew, law enforcement officers had more authority over group gatherings on private properties.
The curfew came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the statewide "safer-at-home" order on April 1 as a way to encourage people to only go out for essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manatee County leaders said they would meet every seven days to decide if they need to make changes to the new order or extend it.
In a meeting held Tuesday morning, the commission voted 4-3 to lift the curfew, which has been in place since April 3.
However, the commission urged Manatee County residents to continue to follow the CDC's recommended safe social distancing practices as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
A similar curfew was established in Hillsborough County on April 13 but only lasted a three days before it was lifted.
- Florida is getting ready to re-open. Here's who's on the task force
- How your Tampa Bay area school district is handling the rest of the school year
- Officer wants people to take COVID-19 seriously after his battle with the virus
- Reports: Kim Jong Un in fragile condition after surgery
- Disney furloughs 100,000 workers, saving $500 million a month amid theme park shutdown
- Jobless Floridians plan to protest unemployment benefits problems
- Hotlines, websites offer the latest on COVID-19
FREE 10NEWS APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter
