A petition circulating on the internet pleading with the governor to put Florida on lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak is gaining widespread support.
The Shutdown Florida petition had 171,776 signatures as of 2 p.m. Tuesday on change.org.
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Those who have commented on the website say they’ve signed because drastic measures need to be taken to contain the virus.
According to the petition’s website, a Winter Haven man with the username Julio Torres created the campaign.
In the description, Torres pleads to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying “our family are in risk, please SHUT DOWN Florida. Around 100 Florida residents are infected every day.” The description is also translated in Spanish on the page.
The Florida Department of Health released its coronavirus update around 11 a.m. with numbers showing 1,412 people had been infected and 18 people have died from the illness.
The petition, which was created three days ago, has a goal of reaching 200,000 signatures.
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