When will the Florida Keys reopen to tourists? Think June, and maybe later, county says
The Florida Keys will remain closed to tourists through May and maybe even into June due to the threat of COVID-19, Monroe County leaders said Friday.
“Not allowing visitors back to the Florida Keys will still be in place throughout May and potentially longer given the state of the virus,” county spokeswoman Kristen Livengood said in a statement.
Hotels, restaurants, bars and nonessential businesses have been closed for weeks, even as Monroe has avoided becoming a hot spot for the novel coranavirus.
As of Friday morning, the Keys had 74 cases, having tested 1,068, or a little over 1 percent of the county residents.
Leaders credited the checkpoints on U.S. 1 and County Road 905, which have closed off the Keys to non-residents since March 27, as keeping residents safe from the deadly disease.
As of Thursday night, 6,591 vehicles have been turned away at the checkpoints, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s a marathon we’ve never run before,” County Mayor Heather Carruthers said of the COVID-19 shutdown and plans for recovery. “We have no idea exactly where it’s going.”
In the Upper Keys, leaders say they support the decision because Miami-Dade and Broward counties remain hot spots for the virus.
“Dade and Broward counties are responsible for over half the infections in the state of Florida and approximately 40 percent of the COVID-19-related deaths,” said Ken Davis, a Village of Islamorada council member. “Until they show significant progress, we would be foolish to take down the checkpoints.”
Davis said that if the checkpoints come down too soon, the Keys run the risk of being flooded with tourists who could spread the virus throughout the island chain.
“Removal of the checkpoint would be an open invitation to create a new wave of infections throughout Monroe County,” Davis said.
If the Keys can go two weeks with a low infection rate, county leaders say they would consider relaxing some restrictions for residents, such as reopening some recreation areas.
Until Thursday, Monroe hadn’t reported a new case of COVID-19 since Saturday
“It’s good news,” said Bob Eadie, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County “Could you test more? Yes. But the logistics are getting better and more test kits are coming into Monroe County.”
Eadie said leaders need to watch Miami-Dade County closely since many Keys workers come from the region. He also said that even when the Keys eventually open up to tourists, there will likely still be some people who continue to test positive for COVID-19.
“That’s just the nature of the beast,” he said, adding that it’s not realistic to expect the virus will be completely eradicated any time soon.
“We’re going to have to learn how to live in this world with COVID-19 in it.”
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 10:22 AM.
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