MIAMI (WSVN) - Local business owners in the Zika transmission zone are urging health officials to lift a travel advisory as they claim it has been “bad for business.”
Two restaurant owners from Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood participated in a call with the director for the Center of Disease Control and the CEO of the U.S. Travel Association to explain the economic impact of the virus.
Meanwhile, Governor Rick Scott is feeling positive for that area. “We will get them everything to get back to work. We are about now 42, 43 days without a case in Wynwood, which is really positive. We will be 45 days to that point,” the governor said.
Business owners said their employees are feeling the effects of the travel advisory. “We had to make tough decisions,” said restaurant owner Owen Bale. “We had to put our teams in drastically reduced hours. Many of our staff working less than 60 percent of their weekly hours.”
There are six new non-travel-related cases in Miami-Dade. Three of theses cases are in Miami Beach and officials are trying to determine where the other cases occurred.
The CDC said it could lift its advisory for one-square-mile in Wynwood on Sept. 19 if no new locally contracted cases are confirmed in the area.
However, Zika spraying continued overnight in Miami Beach. Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control deployed specialized trucks to attack mosquito larvae.
The trucks provide better ground coverage — targeting breeding areas between 28th and 47th streets.
However, the spray came with controversy. Protests continued at city hall as many residents remain fearful of the long-term effects the spraying will have.
Naled, the controversial chemical in question, was not used.
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