Florida’s carefree summers are a thing of the past, 5,000 die from viruses

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – As coronavirus cases skyrocket, daily life looks very different in the sun state, where many popular beaches are closed, residents and tourists can be fined for not wearing masks, and Bars across the state cannot pour liquor to toast the carefree summer days.

The state Department of Health reported 12,478 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 87 more deaths on Sunday. Overall, there have been almost 350,047 cases, resulting in more than 5,000 deaths.

Florida recently closed bars again because customers were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Miami-Dade County again banned restaurants from having indoor seating, and Broward County, home of Fort Lauderdale, announced a two-week curfew on Friday that prohibits most people from leaving 11 pm at 5 am and an order limiting private meetings, indoors or outdoors, to no more than 10 people.

“It’s almost a guarantee that it will get worse unless we do something very dramatic to flatten the curve because we are heading into the flu season,” said Dr. Dena Grayson, an infectious disease researcher and former Democratic congressional candidate in Florida.

Coronavirus has taken advantage of the intensive care units of some hospitals across the state, and hospitalizations continue to rise, although not as abruptly as on some days in the past week. As of Sunday, there were more than 9,290 hospitalizations, compared to more than 9,100 on Saturday. Hospitals in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville have reported recent increases and a critical shortage of antiviral remdesivir.

Critics have complained that Governor Ron DeSantis has not ordered a statewide mask ordinance as cases increase. The Republican governor has repeatedly said that policies in South Florida could not make sense in the Panhandle, where the infection rate is lower.

US Republican Senator Marco Rubio even recognized the need for a unified, nonpartisan message.

“One area where I think we could all have improved is coming up with a concise message that everyone is posting instead of some of the conflicting messages. And I think everyone has shared the blame on that, ”he told CBS4’s Facing South Florida this weekend.

“Instead, we’ve seen a lot of these things turned into a kind of partisan fight or a political statement about whether you’re going to wear a mask or not, and that sort of thing.”

Criticism has grown as the most affected areas of the state are tightening restrictions, doubling the use of masks and instituting curfews to help reduce the spread.

The Miami-Dade County Commission recently approved an emergency order giving the code and fire inspectors the authority to issue fines of up to $ 100 for individuals and $ 500 for companies that do not comply with the restrictions.

However, Walt Disney World reopened its Epcot theme parks and Hollywood Studios on Wednesday. Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened last weekend. Both Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando opened last month.

This summer looks completely different for Dena Drost and her 7 and 5 year old daughters. Normally, she would be at work and they would be at summer camp.

But the 33-year-old marketing director of a restaurant brand has been out of a job for more than three months. His company says he will have a job to return to as soon as they can safely reopen. But he’s afraid of what that might be like as Florida cases continue to rise.

The mall and other places around his Wellington home are open, but Drost rarely pulls them out, saying “we’re at home trying to get away as little as possible.”

She is relieved that the girls only complain once a week about all the changes the virus has brought to school, camp, and their social interactions. She said she is anxious “on a daily basis” and fears that she will not be able to protect her children from the virus.

“I feel angry that DeSantis only cares about Trump and is deliberately ignorant when it comes to the virus,” she said. “I think there is no excuse for 5,000 dead Floridians.”

Typically, the Potions in Motions caterer and event company would be up and running with summer weddings, graduations, and corporate events, averaging 25 to 35 per week at its peak and serving 2,000 to 3,000 people.

But this summer, with the three southern Florida counties imposing various restrictions on group meetings, they boil down to “micro-events,” averaging two to five per week with 8 to 15 people. They have had to cut most of their staff. In the high season, they are 65, but now they are down to six.

“We are trying to stay alive and keep so many people employed,” said company founder Jason Savino. “They are making many restrictions by county. You can’t even have a meeting of more than 10 people in your house. “

He understands the need to make changes to slow the spread of the virus, but is concerned about the economic impact.

“The callback scares me,” he said. “There is no support from any government or any other place that is accommodating these companies that are ordered to return their business.”