FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The night scene in Fort Lauderdale continues to drop after an executive order banned gatherings of 50 or more people.
Raymond Coutor, the General Manager of American Social said, “There is no protocol for what we’re going through.”
Las Olas in Broward County is now mostly empty, with restaurants offering take-out only.
Coutor said, “It’s definitely surreal, and we definitely had to kind of roll with the punches.”
The executive order shut down places for gatherings like clubs, bars, restaurants and beaches.
Police have been turning away would-be beach-goers as authorities try to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“This is one person right here,” said a food delivery man carrying three grocery bags in one hand.
“We do what we have to do” he added.
Valentina Matvchuk, a customer said, “It’s hard to be shut down and locked in the house right? So the only way to get out is to come and pick up some stuff that you need.”
The shutting down of the restaurants is part of a larger effort to prevent one person from infecting multiple people, who could then spread it themselves to others.
Brent Pocker, a customer said, “The main thing is just been trying to keep ourselves and those around us healthy. We’re going to do our due diligence.”
The pandemic is taking its toll on small businesses. Many people have been laid off.
Coutor said, “The focus has really just been making sure that we stay committed, we stay safe, and we’re just trying to look out for each other and weather the storm.”
American Social has had to lay off dozens of workers but said they would like to hire them back.
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