Florida state parks to close Monday because of fears of the spread of the coronavirus

All Florida state parks will officially close Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic, state officials announced late Sunday.

At the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said all state parks wouldn’t welcome any visitors in order to “successfully uphold [Centers for Disease Control] guidance to maximize social distancing and avoid gatherings larger than 10 people.”

Over the past few weeks, the state limited operating hours and reduced visitor capacity at popular parks.

“Unfortunately, this has not resulted in the reductions needed to best protect public health and safety as Florida continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” the Florida DEP said in a statement. “We appreciate the public’s cooperation and understanding as we work to prioritize the welfare of our communities and staff.”

Click here for a map of all Florida state parks.

This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 10:47 PM.

Monique O. Madan

Miami Herald

305-376-2108

Monique O. Madan covers immigration and enterprise; she previously covered breaking news and local government. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and The Dallas Morning News. In 2019 she was a Reveal Fellow at the Center for Investigative Reporting. She’s a graduate of Harvard University, Emerson College and The Honors College at Miami Dade College. A note to tipsters: If you want to send Monique confidential information, her email and mailbox are open. You can find all her stories here: moniqueomadan.com. You can also direct message her on social media and she’ll provide encrypted Signal details. Support my work with a digital subscription