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MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Those anxious to reopen businesses and public spaces are being accused of putting profits ahead of people. However, the people are equally as divided over whether they want pandemic protections to remain in place, or if they are ready to venture back to “normal” life.
“COVID is real, we’re not denying that,” flooring contractor Robert Fernandez said. “Our biggest issue comes that people need to work.”
“People are gonna get sick. People are gonna die,” counter-protestor Ian Lindersheldon said. “It’s kind of terrifying to think that certain people want to put the economy over lives.”
A small handful of protestors gathered at Miami City Hall Wednesday saying that they are fed up with the ongoing shutdown and they want America to reopen.
On Tuesday, the state’s Reopen Florida Task Force held a conference call where they discussed how to go about opening businesses and bringing tourism back to the state.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said, “I want to address the question that everyone has been asking and that’s when?”
He urged caution as restrictions are eased.
“It won’t happen in one fell swoop, I can tell you that. It will be in stages to ensure the safety of everyone in our community.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made the opening remarks at the start of the meeting.
“I’m not setting any timetables for anything,” said DeSantis. “If people can fight over toilet paper in Costco, then I got to think that there’s a way where you can run a restaurant safely. We need to be looking forward. We need people to get on their feet and do it in a way that’s safe.”
A second meeting was held on Wednesday where they continued the dialogue.
“We need to get businesses open, you know, within the CDC guideline, I think, is very important,” said NFIB Florida Leadership Council Chair Walter Carpenter. “I think as we move forward, it’s important not to overly regulate, not to be overly restricted.”
They also discussed the future of Florida schools and how soon they may be able to reopen.
“The main focus is to get schools open,” said Carpenter. “We know that by opening schools, it has a tremendous impact — emotional impact, a tremendous physical impact, economical impact on our citizens and our businesses.”
On Monday, Gimenez outlined ways to start reopening parks, golf courses and boat ramps with strict guidelines. The county dubbed it “moving to a new normal.”
“I want to stress that any opening will be done with medical experts guiding us every step of the way,” he said.
“I haven’t set a specific date because I think it’s more important to do it right,” DeSantis said regarding a possible reopening date. “Since the pandemic started, available hospital beds have increased in the state of Florida, not decreased, and that was what flattening the curve was all about. I know it’s tough, but I think we’re on a positive course here. We just got to keep going and make sure we move ahead in a smart and safe direction, and I know a lot of Floridians are looking to do that, as well.”
New models from the University of Washington indicated that Florida reached it’s death peak on April 2. It also showed that the state already reached peak demand for hospital resources.
“Although we were prepared for the worst,” said DeSantis. “We have had field hospitals, other staff ready — all that sits empty. I think that’s evidence that we’ve flattened the curve.”
The president and CEO of Visit Florida, Dana Young, talked about the major impact to the state’s tourism industry, as well as the plans underway to encourage people to travel again.
“We understand that the willingness for people to travel is going to start within driving distance from their homes and initially within the boundaries of our state,” said Young. “Our marketing will aim to invoke a sense of Florida pride by reminding Floridians that they are blessed to live in one of the most amazing vacation destinations in the world.”
Some Florida Democrats expressed their concerns over moving too quickly. They insist that without more testing, there is no way to reopen safely.
“We cannot get our economy back going again unless we have a testing regime in place,” said U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla. “Until we test at least 1% of the population in the United States, until we actually get our arms around this virus, we’re in a dangerous period.”
“I understand that we all want to return to our previous pre-corona lives, but easing precautions without public health infrastructure poses a danger to our public health,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Murcasel Powell, D-Fla.
In regards to reopening beaches in the state, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said that he will comply with all county orders, but that he did not see the reopening of beaches until, at least, early June.
Meanwhile, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s 1,600 rooms and suites remain empty, leaving 2,500 people without work.
Philip Goldfarb, the hotel’s president and COO, mapped out the plan to reopen the hotel, including the “10 commitments,” which include a list to stop the spread of COVID-19. That list includes making hand sanitizer readily available and spraying guest rooms after check-out with a hospital-grade anti-bacterial.
“We want to illustrate to our customers and our employees that we are taking this very seriously,” Goldfarb said.
Broward County leaders have been looking into opening up public spaces in phases with a possible date of May 1.
“Especially at the recreational facilities, parks, beaches, golf courses and the waterways to see how we do that, and that it’d be phased and not open all at once,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said.
Protestors stood outside city hall holding up signs that read, “Hairstyles are essential,” “Wake up world!” and “Government is the most nonessential business to exist!”
One counter-protestor came holding up a small sign that read, “Keep Miami CLOSED.”
Four additional meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, and the task force on Friday is expected to present its recommendations to the governor.
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