All Keys cities have now canceled their July 4 fireworks as COVID cases rise in Monroe
America’s birthday celebration in the Florida Keys this year won’t include any public displays of fireworks, as yet another shutdown sends a “stay away” message to tourists while reports of COVID-19 cases rise along the island chain.
The last remaining fireworks show set to go off in Monroe County on the Fourth of July was canceled Wednesday by Marathon city leaders in an emergency meeting called to discuss the issue.
“I side with public safety, as you have to when you sit in this seat,” said Councilman John Bartus. He then quoted one of the nation’s founding fathers, John Adams, credited with starting the idea of celebrating America’s independence from Britain with “bonfires and illuminations.”
A unanimous Marathon City Council reluctantly voted to call off the holiday fireworks over concerns for public safety as huge crowds are expected to come down.
Marathon leaders followed in the footsteps of organizers and city leaders canceling July 4 fireworks in Key West, Key Largo and on Big Pine Key.
It was yet another July 4 shutdown in advance of a long holiday weekend, during which Keys leaders expect to see hordes of tourists, many of them day-trippers from Miami-Dade and Broward.
Even with the beaches closed and the fireworks silenced, the Keys remain open to visitors. Marathon City Councilman Mark Senmartin predicted the weekend will be “insane.”
Hotels, shops and restaurants remain open, but many bars are shut down due to a state order on alcohol consumption. Also, Monroe County and Key West have closed beaches and parks from 5 p.m. Thursday until the morning of Tuesday, July 7.
Beaches in Marathon and the village of Islamorada are also closed. Key West will make most of Duval Street pedestrian-only — bicyclists must even walk their bikes through — from noon to 5 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
The decision to scratch the Fourth of July fireworks couldn’t be more difficult, Marathon leaders said Wednesday. They said they have received angry texts and have seen divisive Facebook posts.
Bartus received a text telling him not to “let China and the fear mongers win.”
“There’s no greater day of the year,” said Marathon City Manager Chuck Lindsey. “It should always be celebrated, especially during its darkest hour.”
But Lindsey added, “There are just too many uncertainties right now. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to think about. It goes against every fiber of my being that we postpone this.”
“My love of this country and its founding isn’t and shouldn’t be about any one fireworks display,” said Marathon Mayor Steven Cook. “It is and should be about our freedom. In this case, simply to have the freedom to make informed decisions and make the best choices we can.”
Council members of the Middle Keys city voted to reschedule the show but didn’t discuss any possible dates.
Senmartin blamed county officials for taking down the checkpoints on June 1. The two highway checkpoints kept tourists out of the Keys.
“The county dropped the ball on the whole thing by opening up the floodgates wide open instead of cracking them open,” Senmartin said.
Since then, Monroe County has seen a dramatic rise in reported COVID-19 cases. Marathon has 32 cases and Monroe had a total of 270 known cases. Before the checkpoints were removed a month ago, the total in the Keys was 108 reported cases.
Senmartin also said tourists are not taking the needed precautions to stop the spread of the deadly disease.
“We love them, we need them, but they’re killing us right now,” Senmartin said.
Marathon will keep its parks open, for now. Also, the city’s boat ramps will stay open.
“Please take care of yourselves,” City Councilman John Johnson told the public at meeting’s end. “Let’s be as smart as we can as citizens in Marathon and treat everyone with respect and get through this pandemic.”
To watch
To watch the full meeting, click here.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 2:49 PM.
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