Q&A of the Day – What will it take for South Florida to reopen?
Each day I’ll feature a listener question that’s been submitted by one of these methods.
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Today’s entry: What are we really waiting for before reopening in South Florida? Is there really any evidence of reopening causing problems? It’s ridiculous that the rest of the state has now started to reopen but we’re made to sit and wait for what again? Trump said it. It’s time to reopen!
Bottom Line: You’ve got a point. What will it take? If you’re looking for specifics from public officials about what needs to happen. They’re in short supply. Recently this is what Broward Mayor Dale Holeness had to say: We will need to do more robust testing including antibody testing to ensure that we continue to protect the safety and well-being of all the people of Broward County. What about Miami-Dade's Mayor Carlos Gimenez? He tweeted this Sunday: Some have expressed confusion over businesses reopening. I want to clarify: Non-essential businesses in S. Fla. will remain closed until further notice. And Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner: It's incumbent on us, as the community, to be cautious, careful, and far-sighted as possible.
I have no idea what to make of any of it other than not yet. Importantly, all three counties have committed to acting in unison on reopening decisions and seemingly Governor DeSantis is supportive of that approach. But does that make sense? I don’t really think it does. The idea is that if Palm Beach County reopens they’ll be a crush of people from Broward and Miami-Dade creating additional risks for everyone. But couldn’t that excuse be used everywhere? Take a look at how small Martin county is compared to Palm Beach and Broward. Is Martin being overrun with infected South Floridians? There’s a fine line between providing effective public health safety measures and trying to protect people from themselves. At a minimum I have concerns about counties banding together to make decisions generally. The mayors of each county are there to represent the interests of the residents of their county. The concentration of cases has been highest in Miami-Dade. Tying Palm Beach and Broward residents to Dade will likely lead to longer closures than would be necessary in the individual counties. I’d urge each mayor to represent their constituents rather than attempting to be the “mayors of South Florida” - that’s not their role – though they’d likely tell you they are representing their constituents by this policy. Additionally, heat, humidity and sunlight are supposed to thwart the virus. Where does more of it exist than in South Florida? That’s why, at a minimum, keeping beaches closed in all three counties seems off base to me at this point. As for reopening’s impact on case counts. Here’s an update on cases reported for the five earliest states to open (average cases per day since reopening April 24th).
- Alaska: Down 49%
- Georgia: Down 32%
- Oklahoma: Down 31%
- South Carolina: Down 2%
- Vermont: Down 35%
These are all states with a lot less sun and humidity than South Florida. Again, if we’re being told officials are using science and data, how about using the current science and data for policy decisions? I understand the increasing frustration many feel in South Florida.