President Trump announced that he was leaving it up to states when to reopen their economies as he had no control over it. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has relaxed restrictions on social distancing and the lockdown, clearing the way for parks and beaches to reopen. This move surprised many, as the cases of COVID-19 in Florida continue to rise. Jen Perelman, a candidate for Congress in Florida’s 23rd District, stressed that the decision would make the outbreak worse in the state.
“Why aren’t any elected officials speaking out against this?”, she wondered.
The decision of DeSantis came as cases of Coronavirus spiked, and yet he allowed restrictions to relax for “essential activities.” Miami reporter Brian Entin was as surprised as Jen Perelman, but Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said that there were encouraging signs from the area to reopen the beaches. However, there are inconsistencies in the county as explained by the Daily Mail, “The number of new cases in 24 hours in Duval County dropped from 43 on April 13 to 17, on April 15 however, hospitalizations remained the same with 63 each day over the last 48 hours. Neither have dropped consistently in two weeks and the total number of infections stand at 780.”
There are a number of surprised citizens who question how the state is counting the number of deaths due to the virus. According to one tweet, seasonal residents, which is a huge chunk of the state’s population, aren’t being included in the count. As for the opening of the beaches in Jacksonville, Mayor Curry explained that they will only be open from 6am to 11am, 5pm to 8pm. Only essential activities will be permitted, such as, swimming, surfing, fishing, walking, hiking, biking, running, and taking care of pets.Seems like the “essential activities” actually covered everything.
Mayor Curry, a Republican, cited that the opening of the beaches “could be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life,” but mentioned that residents should follow the restrictions and remain cautious. Florida’s beaches are a tourist attraction, and an important part of the state’s economy. While there are those who believe that opening them will help save the economy from further damage, some will remind others that the decision not to close the beaches during spring break contributed to the spread of the virus around the country.
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