Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Experts back move to reopen parks; some cities think it’s still too early
The decision to reopen many of South Florida’s parks, marinas and golf courses was greeted Tuesday with a healthy dose of skepticism from some public officials. But it has won cautious praise from some disease experts who say it may not be too early to take a step back toward the way things were.
The reopenings are set to begin Wednesday while the state is still seeing deaths from the new coronavirus. Forty-three deaths were reported Sunday and Monday, according to the state’s health department. There were 44 deaths reported statewide last Fri
day alone.
“If your only goal is to minimize the number of coronavirus cases, which means minimizing deaths, then 15 months would be the amount of time needed for a lockdown,” said Andrew Noymer, associate professor of public health at University of California Irvine. “People aren’t going to do that. … We have to start easing some of the social-distancing rules, or they will start to break down.”
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties have all agreed to open county parks, among other sites for outdoor recreation. The counties appear to be proceeding thoughtfully, opening only those areas where social distancing can be properly monitored, according to Mary Jo Trepka, professor of epidemiology at Florida International University.
“People are already out there,” she said. “They’re not walking in the parks, but they’re walking and riding their bikes in the streets. It seems the counties are doing a lot to make sure people have access to activities without increasing the disease spread.”
Both experts acknowledged that loosening restrictions would increase the risk of spreading coronavirus. Noymer said an increase was likely. “There’s nothing that comes with zero risks,” he said. “The main idea at this point is to keep the hospitals functioning without being overwhelmed.”
A slow, deliberate loosening of quarantine rules can help balance what Noymer called the “tradeoff ” between disease spread and public freedom.
Most cities are following the direction of their county mayors, but officials at a few cities have said they want to be extra careful and are plotting their own schedule.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said he tapped a team of more than 20 business executives, medical professionals and neighborhood leaders to help come up with a safe plan that adheres to the guidelines put out by the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We have met the four health-related criteria, which relate to a general decline in the virus spread and signs of its symptoms,” he said. “However, we have yet to meet the criteria that calls for widespread testing.”
The city plans to keep its restrooms locked at city parks even though they’ll be open at county parks, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom told city commissioners Tuesday. In addition, Fort Lauderdale might require people to wear masks when they visit parks. The masks would only come off during exercise.
“While we all are anxious to return to work and get back to those activities we so enjoy,” Trantalis said. “We must do so in a phased, cautious fashion in order to avoid any rebound in the virus that would cause a return to the existing stay-athome policies.”
Pemproke Pines is keeping its parks closed, partly because other nearby cities are reluctant to open theirs, said Mayor Frank Ortis. “I want to make sure it’s for Pines residents,” he said, arguing if the other cities aren’t going to open, Pembroke Pines would risk getting overwhelmed. “I can’t control it. People will slam into the parks and I can’t have that,” he said.
The city of Miami will not open its parks or golf courses yet. Aventura’s cityrun golf course will open Wednesday, but its parks will stay closed until May 4. The city wants “to make sure we have everything right,” said Aventura City Manager Ronald J. Wasson. “Only one chance to open correctly.”
Carlos A. Gimenez, Miami-Dade County’s mayor, said Tuesday he made the decision with the blessing of a handful of medical experts, so he doesn’t understand the pushback that he said he has gotten from cities.
“The numbers have never really spiked,” he said of virus cases. “The spike we had was a mild spike. The numbers stabilized. [These] measures actually will protect you. If you follow the guidelines, the risk of contagion is very low.”
Hollywood’s parks could open beginning May 6, said city spokeswoman Joann Hussey.
“We’ve seen hopeful trends, like the decrease in number of COVID positive hospital transports over the past few days,” she said. “That said, other important milestones listed as part of President Trump’s 14-day guideline have not demonstrated positive trending. We will continue to monitor the medical data for our area prior to easing restrictions.”
Despite not having the support of every city, Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine said the time was right for boating, golfing and enjoying parks.
“If you maintain good social distancing, there’s not a very high risk, provided you are doing it the right way,” Udine said. “At some point things have to be open and outdoor-type of things is the safest way to do it.”
Small businesses are expected to be opened by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis next, but Udine warned that could be slowed if people don’t follow the rules for outdoor activities. “If there are major [groups of ] people ignoring these orders, that could delay the opening of other things.”