New York
#FloridaMorons trends after people flock to reopened Florida beaches
Florida’s governor on Friday gave the green light for some beaches and parks to reopen if it can be done safely, and north Florida beaches became among the first to allow people to return since closures because of the coronavirus.
Mayor Lenny Curry said Duval County beaches were reopening Friday afternoon with restricted hours, and they can only be used for walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing.
The beaches will be open from 6 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., Curry said in a video posted to social media.
Gatherings of 50 or more people are prohibited and people must still practice social distancing.
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“This beach will be open from 6am to 11am, and from 5pm to 8pm each evening,” local station WJAX said.
Sunbathing is not permitted. Other restrictions include prohibitions on towels and blankets, coolers and grills, and beach chairs, as well as “lingering on the beach without moving”, and gatherings exceeding 10 people.
“Folks, this could be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, but please respect and follow these limitations,” said the Jacksonville mayor, Lenny Curry. “We’ll get back to life as we know it but we must be patient.”
Miami-Dade mayor Carlos Gimenez said during a Saturday news conference that his county would also move forward with reopening beaches but didn’t say when that would happen.
DeSantis also announced Saturday that K-12 schools in the state will be closed for the remainder of the school year due to the pandemic.
Florida was one of the last states to implement a stay-at-home order. As of Saturday, the Florida Department of Health has reported more than 25,000 coronavirus cases and 740 deaths.
The New York Times reported that people fell ill with coronavirus in Florida, and then returned home with the virus.
Florida’s beach reopenings also come amid Trump’s calls to reopen the US economy and growing protests in some states, driven by rightwing figures, about social and business restrictions.