KEY LARGO, FLA. (WSVN) - The Florida Keys will be off-limits to those who do not live or work in the area, a decision that has only been made one other time that did not involve a hurricane.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be stationed along two checkpoints starting Friday.
The checkpoints will be located near mile marker 112 on U.S. 1 and State Road 905.
The county’s mayor said it was a very difficult decision, but it is for the best for the public health of the Keys.
“We are an open and welcoming community, you know, come as you are. But at this point, come as you are later,” said Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers. “Probably 60% of our economy is tourism-related, so it’s something that’s of a great concern to us. Frankly, that’s part of why we’re doing this. The earlier we stop the spread, the earlier we can control it, not just within the Keys but, you know, throughout the nation, the sooner we can get back on our feet and get back to work.”
“This is a hurricane,” said Key Largo Fisheries owner Tom Hill. “Only, it’s a financial hurricane.”
Hill said half of his customers consist of tourists traveling up and down U.S. 1.
“The hurricane, you can kind of prepare for it,” he said. “You know there’s almost a middle, a beginning and an end. This, we’re hoping that the end is coming.”
“My sales right now are a quarter of what they were last year,” said Coco Plum Place owner Lindsey Ritz.
Ritz said about 75% of her sales come from people driving through the Keys on vacation.
“I’m hoping when this is over, the people who were going to come and visit will now reschedule,” she said. “This is our busy season. This is the time that we have the tourists that kind of gets our budget padded. This is when we make the extra money, this month especially.”
Carruthers said the last time U.S. 1 was closed to traffic was in 1981 when the federal government shut down the road to check for drugs going back forth between Monroe and Miami-Dade County. The closure resulted in the county having a tongue-in-cheek secession and declaring the county the Conch Republic.
“I really just hope that, you know, we can get this done and over with as soon as possible,” said Ashley Witt of Wahoo’s Bar and Grill, “and everybody just kind of does what we’re supposed to so everyone can open up and get back into business.”
In the Keys, businesses that are dramatically short on customers continue to have that laidback island spirit.
“We’re survivors. You live in the Keys, you’re a survivor,” Hill said.
In order to get past the checkpoints put in place, residents will need to provide identification to prove they live in or own property in the area. Those who work in the Keys will need to present a letter from their employer.
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