Social distancing matters. Here is how to do it and how it can help curb the COVID-19 pandemic. USA TODAY With Easter in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for seasonal Florida residents from the Northeast to head home. But unlike their Midwestern brethren, COVID-19 may complicate the journey as they navigate each state’s stay-at-home orders and face more restrictions along the way. Florida’s executive order does not prevent seasonal residents from leaving the state and absent a domestic travel ban, they can still make the journey back up the Eastern Seaboard by air or land. Where it gets complicated, however, is the potential confusion that might be generated along the way as a result of having license plates and identification issued by their northern homes. More: Florida’s safer-at-home order does not prevent snowbirds from leaving, but can they get home? Because driving to the northeast is a multiple-day trek, we examined the necessities any traveler would require: rest stops, lodging and any travel restrictions. While every state on the East Coast has adopted a stay-at-home order, they all have adopted similar language as it pertains to grocery stores and restaurants, making getting three square meals a day a non-issue. To get to New York, we will use Interstate 95, the shortest and quickest route, as our main thoroughfare, meaning we will pass through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. We’ll also touch on the restrictions in the northernmost states. Guy Sanders, who splits time between Naples and Nova Scotia, took the trip home last week and offered his observations to the Naples Daily News. “I normally do not take (route) 95 to travel from home to home,” Sanders said. “Often the (George Washington) bridge and surrounding areas of NJ and Connecticut are stop-and-go, or […]
