STATEWIDE — Gov. Ron DeSantis is saying that baby steps will be needed to reopen Florida as his task force is set to put out a plan on Tuesday to do just that, just days before the stay-at-home order expires.

It is no secret that Florida’s tourism industry is suffering during the coronavirus pandemic and small businesses are itching to reopen.

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And now with this plan coming out, many Floridians could finally be learning more on how that will all work.

What is known is that the governor wants to take a regional approach, based on the different coronavirus rates.

He has said for most people, phase one will not be very different from what they are experiencing now, with schools and nonessential businesses closed and people staying at home.

“Phase One is a baby step,” DeSantis said during a news conference at Tampa General Hospital. “We are deliberately going to be very methodical, slow and data-driven on this because I think people want to have confidence things are going in a good direction." 

And the governor wants to take things slow, in case any COVID-19 spikes occur, which is something his critics are afraid of.

They are pointing to the fact he has no doctors on his task force. There is a hospital CEO, but he’s not a physician.

Most of them are executives of Florida’s largest companies. The panel was supposed to come up with recommendations last Friday.

As it stands, the stay-at-home order ends late Thursday. So if the order is not extended, people can leave their homes on Friday.

Meanwhile, DeSantis will be in Washington, D.C. later Tuesday morning.

According to the presidential schedule from the White House, the governor will meet with the president in the oval office.

The two are scheduled to talk at 11a.m.

There is no word yet on what the two are expected to discuss, but it is known that the two have a good relationship.