ORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. DeSantis signed a state of emergency declaration Monday to better coordinate the response to the growing COVID-19 cases in Florida.

DeSantis says the declaration allowed for a unified command structure. It also allowed for out-of-state personnel to work in Florida if necessary, allows the state to purchase supplies like mask and field equipment more swiftly, and allows pharmacists to dispense up to 30 days of emergency medication refills. 

DeSantis said his agencies had not said there was need for any of this yet, but if they had a more serious outbreak, it would allow them to move quickly. 

Florida Dept. of Health Walks Back Travel Advisory

Floridians who have traveled internationally on Monday were urged to follow new CDC guidelines for self-isolation or take precautions issued to try to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Earlier Monday, the Florida Health Department said all international travelers should self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the state, broadening its coronavirus travel advisory.

But a few hours later, the agency's website had been updated to walk back the self-isolation guidelines for all international travelers and revise it to clarify which travelers should self-quarantine and to attribute the guidelines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The revised guidance issued Monday afternoon says those travelers returning to the U.S. from "level 3" countries — which as of Monday were China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea — must self-isolate for 14 days. Also, entry of foreign nationals from China and Iran was suspended.

Travelers returning from areas designated with a "Level 2" restriction — which as of Monday was Japan and anyone on a cruise — were not being asked to self-isolate but rather monitor their health and limit their interactions with others for 14 days.

In addition, anyone who traveled on a Nile River cruise in Egypt in February is being asked to self-isolate for 14 days. Several people on the cruise who returned to the U.S. later tested positive for coronavirus exposure, including two in Florida.

"The situation in Florida is swiftly changing," Florida Health Department Spokesman Alberto Moscoso told the Associated Press.

Airlines wiping everything down

The advisory issued earlier Monday raised questions about the impact on at least six international airports in the Central Florida and Tampa Bay airports, plus Florida theme parks, the cruise industry, and the state's broader tourism industry in general.

We spotted dozens of people using Orlando International Airport's newly installed hand sanitizer stations before boarding their flights Monday.

Lindsey Patteson is one of those travelers.

"Literally anytime I touch anything I think about the virus, so thank goodness they're everywhere," Patteson said.

Patteson is taking cleanliness into her own hands with the spread of the coronavirus.

“I took Clorox wipes with me, wiped my seat and my neighbor. Not even dirt on the Clorox wipe. They’re doing really good about the wiping down the planes. Mine was spotless," Patteson said.

At Daytona International Airport, our crews met with Ronald Davis, who is heading back to D.C. for his job at the National Institute of Health.

"Not be too safe is an understatement. You should definitely be safe. I know closing down conferences because I know I haven't been able to make several conferences because of the coronavirus," Davis said.

Davis shared the institute is looking into changes for employee health with coronavirus cases in the United States.

"Quite naturally, nurses and doctors have to be at the hospital, but mostly they're looking at all the jobs that can work remotely from home," Davis said.

Patteson is grateful to see the Orlando International Airport focus on passenger safety during her pitstop.

"So many people are wiping down everything, so it's really good. It may have something to do with airlines. It may have something to do with passengers just being more careful," Patteson said.

Meanwhile, the CDC has lifted the "Do Not Disembark" order for the Regal Princess cruise ship at Port Everglades after clearing crew members. A second cruise ship, Caribbean Princess, which is set to dock Wednesday, is under a "Do Not Disembark" order by the CDC because it has two members who have been isolated.

Orlando International Airport said Monday afternoon that it follows CDC guidelines when enforcing travel restrictions.

Before Monday, the Health Department previously had urged self-quarantine for residents who had recently returned from countries currently under a federal travel restriction because of outbreaks of COVID-19: China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan, as well as anyone who traveled on the Nile River cruise.

DeSantis: Private Sector Needs to Deal With Sick Time

DeSantis said the state was dealing with making sure state workers have paid sick time if they show symptoms from COVID-19, and he thinks private companies need to do the same.

DeSantis cited Darden Restaurants as an example of a company that was offering paid sick leave for employees feeling sick from COVID-19. 

University of Florida Provost: Move Classes Online

A UF provost wants the schools classes to be moved online if possible.

Provost Joe Glover sent a memo to academic deans Monday. He said it was not a requirement, but there was a strong probability that moving the classes online would become a requirement before the send of the spring semester.

Glover thinks it would be a good idea for instructors to begin that transition from face-to-face classes to digital courses now. 

Other Developments:

LATEST NUMBERS

As of Monday, there were 12 cases of COVID-19 in diagnosed Florida, with one being an out-of-state resident who is currently recovering here, according to the state Health Department. A Hillsborough County resident, a Volusia resident, and two Manatee residents are among them.

Just over 300 people in Florida are currently being monitored, and 115 coronavirus tests are pending results.

Anyone who has tested positive will remain isolated until they test negative, health officials say.

TESTING CAPACITY GROWS

Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees says commercial testing for COVID-19 is now available in two labs. The FDA has approved kits that can be used by certified labs. It means laboratories across the state will be able to test once they get the kits.

NURSING HOMES BEING MONITORED

The head of Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration is visiting nursing homes to make sure they are being care for properly.

Secretary Mary Mayhew says she is also working with hospitals and assisted living facilities to make sure they are reinforcing bes practices for infection prevention.

"We are particularly focused today on making sure hospitals, our nursing homes, ALFs are screening visitors, employees, and vendors," Mayhew said. "They are screening for illness, if anyone has traveled internationally, and certainly more recently if on a cruise ship. They are being given all of the tools and resources, signage, to support efforts to protect residents and patience."

SCHOOL SYSTEM EXPANDING VIRTUAL SCHOOL

Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is preparing for the possibility that schools have to close. He said the department of education has ordered 15 new servers for Florida Virtual School, and they are working to thousands of teachers over the next few weeks. 

LAWMAKERS SELF-ISOLATE AFTER CPAC, AIPAC TRIP

The Florida House of Representatives chamber in Tallahassee was disinfected Monday afternoon after five state lawmakers voluntarily self-isolated because of the illness.

House Speaker Jose Oliva said State Reps. Thad Altman of Brevard County, Anthony Sabatini of Lake County, Cord Byrd of Duval County, Byron Donalds of Collier County and Kionne McGhee of Miami-Dade County, along with a staffer, submitted to testing and self-isolated themselves.

Three of the men were in Washington, D.C. for CPAC, a conservative political conference where an attendee tested positive for the illness. None of the men came into contact with the attendee, but the move was being done out of an abundance of caution.

McGhee and Donalds had attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in D.C., where two attendees tested positive.

Oliva says none of the lawmakers showed any symptoms. After the state evaluated the lawmakers and the House chamber, everyone was cleared and released from isolation.

The news comes after three federal lawmakers announced they were self-isolating: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. All of them attended CPAC.      

Gaetz announced he was going into self-isolation after he flew back with President Trump on Air Force One from Florida Monday.