Infections will increase in the coming weeks

S T. PETERSBURG, Fla. – As Florida enters the height of the summer tourist season, the state’s largest cities and counties are closing beaches, ordering masks, and stopping the reopening of businesses, hoping that the measures will delay a strong resurgence of coronavirus cases.

Many of the new cases are among younger adults and are attributed to relaxed socializing at parties and bars, where alcohol consumption was banned starting last week to stop the spread of the virus. When these patients end up in hospital beds, their conditions are less acute than those of those infected during the deadliest phase of the state outbreak.

Still, there is concern that the most vulnerable will be exposed as Florida continues to boost its economy with reopening of theme parks, major sporting events, and the celebration of the Republican presidential nomination.

In each crowd, there will be asymptomatic people, many of whom will refuse to wear masks and spread infections that will lead to more serious illness in the coming weeks, experts say.

“Every time you have these reopens, you depend on people to do the right thing, to follow the rules. I think that’s where the weak points come in, ”said Dr. Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist and medical professor at the University of Florida.

He warned that things are likely to get worse before they get better.

“We were a couple of weeks late to the game of really being able to get this under control,” Prins said.

New confirmed cases have skyrocketed in the past week. The Florida Department of Health reported more than 6,012 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. More than 8,000 new cases were counted each of the three days at the end of last week. The state now has more than 152,434 confirmed cases and more than 3,500 deaths.

Michelle Chason, 58, tested positive Monday. The Tallahassee resident said she has been extremely cautious, going out only when necessary and always wearing a mask. But someone coughed on it at the grocery store and thinks it may have been exposed there.

The large increase in new confirmed cases in Florida so far has not translated into a deluge of critical hospitalizations across the state. State and hospital officials say these cases are milder and also include people hospitalized for other reasons that test positive for routine examination.

Still, hospital intensive care units are starting to fill up in the hardest hit South Florida. Miami-Dade County has approximately 23% availability in ICU beds, although one of Miami’s largest facilities, Baptist Hospital, has only 6 of its 82 available ICU beds, according to the Health Care Administration Agency from Florida.

Health officials say the next few weeks will be critical to Florida’s success or failure. On the fourth of July, the reopening of Walt Disney World and the Republican National Convention appear on the calendar with the promise of crowds.

Republicans and Trump moved the nomination portion of the convention to Jacksonville after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper refused to ensure that the event could be held in Charlotte without public health restrictions. Now, Florida Republicans say they will institute safety precautions, including branded masks.

“I think we can do it in a way that you can follow current social guidelines but still have a successful event,” said State Senator Joe Gruters, party chairman. “I will tell you that the Florida Republican Party will provide masks for our entire delegation.”

The beaches in South Florida will close during the busy weekend of July 4, and the commissioners of the Southwest Florida County that hosts Naples voted Tuesday to close the beaches for most of the day on weekends until new notification.

Central Florida theme parks are another concern. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando have been open for weeks. Two of the four Disney World parks are slated to open on July 11, and the company says masks will be required for guests and workers.

Thousands of Walt Disney World workers began returning to work this week before the Disney parks reopened. The complex has been closed since mid-March.

Krysta White, who works at Animal Kingdom Park, said she feels safer at Disney World than at the grocery store, due to all the protocols in place.

“I’m still nervous, but I feel like they’ve done everything they can to make it as safe as possible,” White said in a union Facebook video.

Also Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis issued a third-time executive order suspending evictions and foreclosures. The freeze was due to end on Wednesday, but will now last until August 1. The original order was signed on April 2 and then renewed on May 14 and June 1.

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AP reporters Mike Schneider in Orlando, Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale, and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed to this report.