‘I stayed as far away as I could.’ Shoppers try to social distance on Black Friday
COVID-19 did little to dissuade South Floridians in search of deals on Black Friday.
Long lines and discounts awaited those willing to brave the malls on what traditionally is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the Friday after Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday shopping season.
Thousands of people descended upon Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater as early as 8 a.m. Though many of the same markdowns were available online, the experience of in-person shopping intrigued many shoppers, some of whom cared little about contracting COVID-19.
On Friday, Miami-Dade County reported 3,752 new cases over Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Florida Department of Health, one of the higher two-day totals in recent weeks.
“It’s overblown,” Fernando Cabrera, 49, said of COVID-19. The ability to “try things on” and “save money on shipping” also influenced Cabrera’s decision to go to the mall, he added.
The importance of social distancing was emphasized at every turn. Signs reminding shoppers to maintain a safe distance filled the windows. Stores limited entry to prevent overcrowding. But crowds were prevalent.
“I stayed as far away as I could,” said Mark Hernandez, 30. “Anybody that was close to me, I did ask, ‘Please step back.’ ”
While Hernandez shopped online, the promise of more savings brought him to the mall. The lines were just part of shopping during the holiday season, he said.
“I wanted deals,” Hernandez said.
By midday, popular destinations like Nike and Tommy Hilfiger had lines that extended far past neighboring stores. Fatigued shoppers found seating wherever they could — on benches, ledges and even kiosks. Those determined to find savings breezed past customers.
The scene was similar at the nearby Walmart in Doral where shoppers in search of groceries, Christmas trees and markdowns stood side-by-side in line to check out. One customer, a mother of three who referred to herself only as “Jesse,” said she came to buy a Christmas tree, which she had just purchased.
“I needed it now,” she said, hustling her children into the car as a light rain began.
Jesse added that although COVID-19 was a concern, she, her husband and daughter already had beaten back the virus.
It’s too early to know whether Thanksgiving celebrations and Black Friday crowds will lead to a surge of COVID cases in Florida, although public health experts were warning all week that they could. Florida reported 979,020 total confirmed cases on Friday, the third highest case count in the country, behind Texas and California, according to the New York Times database of COVID cases in the 50 states.
This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 7:24 PM.
