Florida Keys closed to all tourists and visitors because of the coronavirus spread

Because of the spread of COVID-19, the Florida Keys is officially closed to all “tourists and leisure visitors,” Monroe County officials announced Sunday.

“The ban does not include rentals for those actively engaged in projects in Monroe County,” the county said in a statement. “There are no restrictions for homeowners and second homeowners who have houses in the Florida Keys.”

Monroe County residents and workers from the Mainland do not need a reentry sticker as of Sunday night, officials said. There are currently no roadblocks or Check-in stations on US-1 or in Florida City because of the order issued because of concerns of for the coronavirus.

“There are no plans to close US-1 at this time, but it is being re-evaluated daily,” officials said. “There are no restrictions for homeowners, workers, deliveries to come and go. There is no lodging available for leisure visitors.”

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 8:09 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