Alcohol delivery may continue in Florida after coronavirus, Gov. DeSantis suggests

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Alcohol delivery could continue in Florida, even after the coronavirus pandemic is over, Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Tuesday.

The governor visited a coronavirus testing site in Sarasota to give an update on the state’s response to the pandemic. He also discussed the reopening process, which is currently in Phase One for most of the state.

Bars and nightclubs are still closed but, as of Monday, restaurants are allowed to open up dining rooms and outdoor seating as long as they’re adhering to social distancing guidelines. Up until now, restaurants were only allowed to offer take-out or delivery orders.

An executive order issued by Gov. DeSantis in March also allowed restaurants and bars to offer alcohol in sealed containers for take-out and delivery orders.

“I allowed them to deliver alcohol, I think that’s been pretty popular, we’re probably going to keep that going,” DeSantis said Tuesday.

The executive order suspended a Florida statute that prohibits “specially-licensed food service establishments from selling package sales of alcohol for delivery, take-out or consumption off-premises.”

The governor suggested during his news conference Florida may change that statute.

“Maybe we’ll have the legislature change the law on that,” he said.

Tuesday was the first time DeSantis mentioned a possible change to the law but he’s not the first governor to do so. Our sister station KXAN reported last week that Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott suggested alcohol delivery in his state could “keep on going forever.”