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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Rainy weather did not prevent concerned South Floridians from driving to Fort Lauderdale to make their voices heard about what they said is an urgent need to reopen the state.
Meanwhile, state and local leaders said they are taking a cautious and gradual approach to loosening restrictions currently in place.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, along with other county leaders, are set to host a news conference to discuss reopenings, Monday.
7News cameras captured dozens of cars, some with signs taped to windows, caravanning down Las Olas Boulevard and up A1A, Sunday.
“Facts over fear!” a protester yelled.
“Open up America. Let’s get back to work. We’re healthy,” said a demonstrator.
Protesters called on state and local leaders to start lifting restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.
“The devastation it’s causing for this community, for Fort Lauderdale, just cannot even be calculated,” said demonstrator Chris Nelson.
Just after 5 p.m., cameras showed a handful of demonstrators out of their vehicles at the intersection of Las Olas and A1A, near the beach, as they held up signs and U.S. flags.
“People are dying, and we’re very upset about that. We’re very sad, and we grieve for those families,” said protester Yishai Cohen, “but that doesn’t mean that we should be shutting down our economy, shutting down all the businesses, shutting down all the recreation.”
But not all onlookers agreed with what they saw.
“I think it’s actually ridiculous, to be honest,” said Jennifer Markovich. “I feel like, at the end of the day, that we all need to be safe, but to be protesting, and people are losing their lives, is insane.”
The rally on wheels took place one day after similar events in West Miami-Dade and downtown Miami.
Participants of Sunday’s caravan said they hope their message travels even further than Fort Lauderdale.
“It’s time for Governor [Ron] DeSantis to reopen the state of Florida,” said Nelson.
But despite these calls for swift action, DeSantis said earlier on Sunday that he’s in no rush.
“I’m less concerned about a specific date than I am with getting it right,” he said during a news conference held in Orlando.
DeSantis said he’s working with his task force to get the economy going again, but he wants to do it safely.
“We’re going to do everything in a very smart, methodical, safe way,” he said.
The governor said he’s working with South Florida mayors to decide what is best for each region.
In a video message posted on social media, Gimenez said he’s working with experts on plans to properly reopen public spaces. He’s expected to make an announcement about the process and the strict guidelines that will be in place.
“People who break the rules will be asked to leave the parks, and they could face arrests and a $500 fine for failure to follow the rules,” said Gimenez.
Meanwhile, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that he will be taking a cautious approach to reopening.
“We know that if we’re not cautious on the back end, we could have another wave, which is something that would be disastrous for our residents and for our economy as well,” said Suarez.
But some residents who are out of work during this time said these measures need to be set in motion sooner rather than later.
“There’s people right now that need to feed their families, and they need to feed them now,” said Nelson.
Late Sunday afternoon, Chaz Adams, Fort Lauderdale’s public affairs manager, released a statement about the caravan. It read in part, “The City of Fort Lauderdale favors a phased approach to reopening that is contingent upon medical data showing a sustained decrease in cases and deaths, hospitals no longer operating in crisis mode, and having additional testing in place … While we are all eager to see cities reopen, doing so hastily could prolong the pandemic, resulting in more widespread infection and greater loss of life.”
Effective Monday, Key West will be opening parks, beaches and recreational facilities to local residents.
The City Manager said in a statement that they anticipate that they will soon have the ability to allow for non-essential businesses to reopen.
State officials have not provided an exact date as to when they will begin reopening Florida.
Anyone with questions and concerns about the coronavirus can call the Florida Department of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 1-866-779-6121.
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