Crowded beaches, confusion in Florida
For many, it’s business as usual without orders for statewide lockdown
TALLAHASSEE — As Gov. Ron DeSantis has resisted calls from health officials and elected leaders in coronavirus hotspots like South Florida to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order, a hodgepodge of rules has emerged from local governments, causing widespread confusion and conflicting messages from leaders within the same region.
And in some cases, there has been outright disregard for the social distancing suggestions DeSantis has preached.
Some counties, such as Orange, Osceola, Miami-Dade and Broward have issued shelter-inplace or stay-athome orders for all non-essential workers and businesses, with some including curfews. Others, like Seminole have taken measures such as limiting businesses to 30 percent of their occupational limit. The Friday order from Seminole authorities came one day after they said a stronger stay home order wasn’t needed, rejecting the Orange and Osceola approach.
DeSantis brought some uniformity to four South Florida counties – Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe – by issuing a “safer at home” order Monday, requiring residents to stay at home except for trips to get food or medical care, with exceptions for workers deemed “essential.”
But Democrats have hounded DeSantis to broaden restrictive measures to apply statewide. They argue that encouraging social distancing without the force of law behind it allows for large gatherings of people that will spread the disease more rapidly, potentially
overwhelming health systems.
“In the absence of a statewide order, a regional safer-at-home order is welcome to bring much needed uniformity,” said Sen. Jose Javier Rodrigues, D-Miami. “However, no corner of our state is immune and a piecemeal, patchwork approach will not cut it. Because we remain so far behind on testing, we cannot know how far behind we also are in trying to catch up with the virus as it spreads.”
Medical professionals, too, are calling for stronger measures. A group of Collier County doctors sent DeSantis and their county commission a letter last week asking for a statewide shelter in place order, according to the Naples Daily News.
“Without more decisive action, which would show your constituents the necessity of staying at home, the outbreak will worsen at a more drastic rate,” the letter stated.
So far, residents of 30 other states are under statewide shelter in place orders. The latest came Monday from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat.
On March 17, DeSantis issued an executive order shuttering bars and nightclubs and limiting restaurants to 50 percent capacity.
Restaurants were later reduced to take-out and delivery only. The order also included a prohibition against groups of more than 10 on Florida’s beaches but that was up to local governments to enforce.
Some local governments shut access to their beaches in the days that followed, but spring break was already in full swing by that time, and packed beaches sparked national news and social media outrage at the potential for massive spread of the virus. Some counties, such as Brevard and Volusia, have blocked access to parking but still allow people on the beaches.
“When you’re talking about a respiratory virus being in closed spaces with close contact is the way that it is transmitted,” DeSantis told reporters Saturday, defending his decision not to unilaterally close Florida’s beaches. “If you have a family that’s just sitting out there in sunshine, heat and humidity in an open space that’s not as big of a problem.”
As he was speaking, pictures of St. Johns County beaches thronged with hundreds of sunbathers packed tightly together and breaking CDC guidelines against gatherings of more than 10 people were being spread across the Internet. Some showed the contrast with the barren beaches of neighboring Duval County, which had already been closed by leaders there. By the end of the day, St. Johns leaders closed the beaches.
DeSantis said critics of his decision were hypocritical because they aren’t also bashing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for allowing the New York subway system to operate with riders packed in closed spaces, as opposed to the open air of the beaches.
“Do you hear the same people complaining about the NYC subway system being open?” DeSantis said. “I mean, give me a break. Which one is more conducive to having COVID-19 spread or any respiratory virus? It’s not even close.”
But the closed spaces of the polling booths did not deter DeSantis from delaying the presidential preference primary on March 17. Now, two Broward County poll workers have tested positive for COVID-19.
“To cancel it in an environment where people were on edge I think it would’ve really sent a signal about panic, and I don’t think that’s the signal you want to send,” DeSantis said. “The signal you want to send is: We’ve got this, there’s going to be challenges, but if we make the right precautions and do the right things we’re going to be fine.”
One group DeSantis has chosen to crack down on are out-of-state residents of “hotspot” or “hot zone” areas such as New York City and New Orleans. Travelers from Louisiana, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are met by law enforcement and health officials telling them to selfisolate for 14 days or face a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.
DeSantis doesn’t think it’s fair to allow them into Florida while Floridians face closed schools, restaurants, bars and lose their businesses and jobs as part of the measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“You have Floridians throughout the state who are sacrificing tremendously … how is it fair to them to just be air-dropping in people from the hot zones bringing infections with them and seeding the communities with new infections that they’re trying to stamp out?” DeSantis said.