Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday 3/17/2020 that he will NOT be ordering the beaches in his state
to close, despite growing concerns over the international COVID-19
outbreak, NBC News reported.
DeSantis
said that beaches in the state must adhere to guidelines issued by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has advised the
public to practice social distancing and avoid gatherings with more than
10 people. “What we’re going to be doing for the statewide floor
for beaches, we’re going to be applying the CDC guidance of no group on a
beach more than 10 and you have to have distance apart if you’re going
to be out there. So that applies statewide,” DeSantis reportedly said at
a press conference.
The result during the height of spring break was that the beaches became insanely crowded, making them the perfect breeding ground for the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Local officials took it upon themselves to shut down their own beaches.
Beaches Closed:
Tampa and Naples, Brevard, Walton, Collier counties, Fort Meyers, Port Charlotte, Englewood and all Sarasota beaches.
Thursday 3/19/2020, all public beaches in Miami-Dade
County, and Lee County closed.
Friday 3/20/2020, Santa Rosa County closed Navarre Beach and the pier. Pinellas County and Duval County closed their beaches as did Florida State Park beaches due to overcrowding.
Saturday 3/21/2020, Fernandina Beach closed.
Sunday 3/22/2020, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and Nassau County closed their beaches.
Monday 3/23/2020, Clearwater closed its beach. Flagler County closed its beaches, parks, community
centers, pavilions, camping areas, and associated facilities, like
parking lots and restrooms.
Beaches that ignored the pandemic:
Monday 3/16/2020 Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham said he does not expect the city
to close beaches to the public, and the situation is under control.
On Tuesday 3/17/2020 Pompano Beach was packed with Spring Break revelers. The cases of Covid-19 in Florida had surpasses 800 with 13 dead as of this writing. Collier County beaches also remained open.
Saturday 3/21/2020, although vehicles were not currently permitted on St. Johns County
beaches, all 42 miles of its beaches were open to pedestrians . Flagler County beaches also remained open.
College students and younger people in general have been criticized for
not taking the virus seriously and for seeming to disregard that they
could carry it to higher-risk people, like the elderly. “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to
let it stop me from partying,” spring break goer Brady Sluder told Reuters in Miami. Younger people can still face serious complications. People ages 20 to
44 accounted for about 20% of U.S. cases that resulted in known
hospitalizations, according to the CDC’s preliminary data on the health
outcomes of patients with COVID-19. The CDC said the data were limited
and did not account for underlying medical conditions.
In Germany young adults hold “corona parties” and cough toward older people. “Some consider they’re little heroes when they break the rules,” said
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. “Well, no. You’re an
imbecile, and especially a threat to yourself.”
After images of
rowdy spring break college crowds appeared on TV for days, Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis told Fox and Friends Thursday
3/19/2020 that the state’s beaches have either closed or if open, must abide by
the CDC guidelines on crowds and
distancing for the Covid-19 pandemic. So, he did not close the beaches himself, he passed the buck, expecting each beach township to decide for itself. He said, “The message I think for spring breakers is that the party is over in
Florida. You’re not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the
state. Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it’s
Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or Clearwater Beach, are closed entirely
for the time being.”
As of 3/22/2020, Florida had 830 cases of Covid-19 with 13 dead. In the US there were over 27,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Stay home, stay safe, self isolate.