With the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Florida significantly rising, Gov. Ron DeSantis took the appropriate step Wednesday by issuing a stay-at-home order for all Floridians that starts Friday and runs until April 30. The state should still focus resources on urban hot spots, but the statewide order sends a common message and eliminates any confusion about what responsible residents should be doing to limit the spread of the virus.

Florida is adopting the list of essential businesses allowed to remain open that was issued by the Department of Homeland Security, with some additions adopted by Miami-Dade County. For example, pet services -- and, absurdly, gun shops -- will be considered essential services. DeSantis made clear the list of essential services will be evolving. Those changes should be based on an objective evaluation of the health risk tied to those services, not by the influence of special interests or political contributions.

The reality is Florida’s biggest urban areas already were under local stay-at-home orders, including Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. The statewide order reflects the sobering reality of the latest nationwide projections of coronavirus deaths, the president’s extension of national guidelines until April 30 and a renewed push by health care experts to convince all Americans to redouble their efforts on social distancing.

For the majority of Tampa Bay residents who already are acting responsibly, the governor’s statewide state-at-home order should not have a significant impact. They still will be able to go to groceries, pharmacies, drug stores, gas stations, restaurants for take-orders, hardware stores and other businesses considered essential. They can still walk and bike.

But make no mistake: Some who have been working in nonessential businesses now and practicing social distancing around Tampa Bay will be forced to close. That will force more people out of work, and it will increase the pressure on state and local governments to provide more help to the jobless. For example, no one who has been left jobless because of the coronavirus should be evicted if they cannot pay their rent or mortgage.

There also will be increased demand to provide more food for the newly jobless. More Tampa Bay residents will need access to free health care for treatment for other illnesses. The community’s safety net -- from local governments to nonprofits to the charitable acts of businesses and individuals -- will be tested in ways never imagined and for a length of time that never could have been predicted.

There are reasons for cautious optimism. Testing is ramping up, and the promise of quicker results in the coming weeks will provide a clearer picture. Hospitals are canceling elective surgeries and are significantly below their bed capacity as they prepare for the expected flood of coronavirus patients. The regional cooperation among Tampa Bay officials continues to improve. Judging from the light traffic and empty storefronts, more residents are acting responsibly.

Florida is more diverse than most other states. Miami is not Tampa, and Tampa is not Chiefland. A handful of rural counties have yet to report a single coronavirus case. DeSantis acknowledged those differences with an approach that enabled local governments to respond to local situations, but he recognized Wednesday the time has come for a statewide stay-at-home order that reflects the national guidelines and the increasing gravity of the situation. How much this order limits the spread of the coronavirus, though, ultimately rests on the shoulders of every Floridian.

Editorials are the institutional voice of the Tampa Bay Times. The members of the Editorial Board are Times Chairman and CEO Paul Tash, Editor of Editorials Tim Nickens, and editorial writers Elizabeth Djinis, John Hill and Jim Verhulst. Follow @TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter for more opinion news