CONVID-19 CONVERSATION: Florida and Cities–Open or Not?

“UNLESS THE CORONAVIRUS IS OVERCOME WE WILL CONTINUE IN A DEPRESSION ECONOMY” (Jeffery Sacks, MSNBC interview, May 15)

Local governments, including Miami-Dade County and its municipalities, the City of Coral Gables (@citycoralgables) are applying relatively nonspecific, weak, general criteria to open businesses without the benefit of a strong current public database.

None of the rules is prescriptive enough to guide business behavior in opening up. Rather they are a basis for future trouble in overcoming the coronavirus. At best the rules are a conglomeration of many different proposed criteria. To this date Miami-Dade county has been incapable of publishing opening guidelines.

This picture will ensue from the near-term opening:

• There will be a push to reopen business, placing health protection on a secondary plane;
• Infections and deaths will increase, which is the true cost of returning to business operations and increasing tax revenues to local governments;
• The community will weaken social distancing and mask-using behavior;
• Small businesses–hair salons, small gyms, small stores, restaurants… will operate at a dangerous edge of coronavirus hygiene and protection for its employees and customers;
• Local authorities will find it hard to enforce social distancing and masking.

COVID-19 CONVERSATION: Breaking Down Social Distancing and Masking–An Example

Customers were asked to wear masks for the first few days while moving around the dining room or going to the restroom. The restaurant provided them, she said, but many guests either refused, or took the mask and didn’t use it. By the weekend, that idea had been mostly scrapped.

https://www.tampabay.com/arts-entertainment/food/2020/05/12/tampa-bay-restaurants-are-open-and-hiring-owners-say-theyre-ready-for-more/

You should not doubt that opening up will lead to dangerous increases in infection and deaths in Florida. This is a clear warning for South Florida.