Key West reopens beaches to locals after a six-week shutdown during coronavirus crisis
Key West on Monday reopened its beaches and parks to locals for the first time since shutting them down six weeks ago.
Two highway checkpoints are still in place in the Upper Keys to keep out tourists and visitors. Monroe County remains closed to non-residents who don’t own property or work in the Keys.
After the news about the beach openings spread on Monday, the checkpoints were busier than usual with people from the mainland thinking the Keys are now open for business, said the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Adam Linhardt.
“The Keys remain closed,” Linhardt said. “All Keys.”
But it didn’t take long for Keys people to head to the sand on a, well, perfect beach day.
By mid-afternoon, a couple dozen people were at Smathers Beach, sunbathing and swimming. Some brought chairs and drinks to make an afternoon of it.
Jess McClung, of Key West, spent part of her birthday Monday in the surf with her husband, Jason, and children Jack, 4, and Johnny, 21 months.
“I think this is good for everyone’s sanity,” she said as her boys played in the damp sand.
The city had recently removed some of the barricades from Smathers Beach, its main beach off South Roosevelt Boulevard, although City Manager Greg Veliz has said for the past week that the area was still closed.
But on Monday, Veliz announced that it was time to reopen some outdoor areas to local people after a six-week shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although we are currently under a restrictive order as it pertains to businesses, we do understand the need to begin to allow our residents to resume some sense of normalcy while exercising personal responsibility and social distancing,” Veliz said in his announcement.
Key West’s reopening of its beaches doesn’t include specific restrictions such as a no-sunbathing rule on the recently reopened Jacksonville beaches. And people do not have to wear masks while at the beach, said Key West spokeswoman Alyson Crean.
But there is one rule they most adhere to.
“They must maintain social distancing,” she said.
Monroe County hasn’t been a hot spot for confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, unlike neighboring Miami-Dade and Broward counties. On Monday, Monroe reported 79 known cases.
But Veliz said the decision to reopen beaches and parks, including the Truman Waterfront Park, wasn’t linked to the infection rate.
“Nothing has changed other than the fact we’re promoting exercise,” Veliz told FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. “We can cram everybody on the sidewalk or we can spread people out. We don’t have a lot of visitors here right now.”
Key West police will monitor the beach for six-foot social distancing among strangers, Veliz said.
“We hope that by easing some restrictions on public space our residents can enjoy the natural environment Key West has to offer,” Veliz said. “Residents are encouraged to responsibly distance themselves from each other while spending time outside of their homes.”
Not all beaches in Key West are open. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park remains closed under the state’s order.
A county spokeswoman said Higgs Beach will reopen but exactly when wasn’t clear Monday. It’s a county-owned beach that Monroe leaders closed March 27 after a request by the city.
Monroe County has left its beaches and parks open during the governor’s “safer at home” order, saying people need places for recreation at a time many are stuck under quarantine at home.
Also on Monday, Miami-Dade lifted its closure order on parks, but added rules to keep social distancing in practice. County parks will reopen on Wednesday. Some cities, including Miami, are opting to keep municipal parks closed longer.
Veliz said Key West anticipates it will soon have the ability to allow non-essential businesses to reopen but didn’t provide an estimated date.
“These businesses and their customers should expect all the protective measures currently in place at essential businesses, such as masks and enhanced sanitation, will also be necessary,” he said.
The decision to reopen beaches and parks in Key West came a few days after Monroe County leaders said the Florida Keys won’t reopen to tourists until at least June.
One longtime city leader had reservations about the beach re-openings when asked whether he agreed with the order’s pullback.
“Not 100 percent,” said City Commissioner Clayton Lopez “but I’m going to go along with it.”
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Key West reopens beaches to locals after a six-week shutdown during coronavirus crisis."
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