The beaches in Clearwater, Florida, on March 17, 2020.
The GOP governor refused to close them.
Enjoy this virtual sun from wherever you’re sheltering in place. But don’t wish you were there. Wish these people weren’t there. (NBC News photo; read story here.)
Now the question is, how many ventilators from the strategic stockpile should Florida get?
The Governor of Florida does not have the power to shut down the beaches. Little concept of freedom of movement under the US Constitution, and the people also have a right to like assemble. Also there is a Florida Constitution that allows the public access to the beaches. Generally the folks in the photos are mostly in line with social distancing, however they are also mostly in an age group that if the policy is challenged in the courts the authorities are going to have a tough go at it as the covid 19 virus is not particularly hazardous to the folks in their teens, twenties and thirties and even forties. (And the same argument can be made right here in Washington state when it comes to our beaches, so go enjoy the beaches.)
So hurrah for the three s’s (sun, sex and suds).
Gov. DeSantis “refused” to close the beaches. That’s the word being used by Florida news media. He ordered the CDC guidelines enforced bujt left closure decisions to local authorities. It’s obvious in this photo that plenty of people on this beach aren’t staying 6 feet apart. Other news photos of various Florida beaches show the same thing.
Your assertion that covid-19 is “not particularly hazardous” to people under 50 is outdated, dangerous, and misleading, and I’m almost tempted to delete that. You’re potentially doing harm by posting that misinformation. I’ve decided to reply to it instead. Care facilities are seeing a rising number of younger patients, including people in their twenties and children. But even if younger people on average don’t get as seriously ill from this virus as older adults, they can cause deaths by passing it to others if they’re infected. The precautions urged by CDC and other health authorities should be observed by EVERYONE, not just those at greater risk, because anyone can become a carrier. This is nothing to play games with. Our communities are at risk. Treat it like a live grenade, because until there’s an effective vaccine, that’s what it is.