MONROE COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE, COUNTY BEACHES, LIBRARIES, AND PARKS STILL OPEN

MONROE COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE, COUNTY BEACHES, LIBRARIES, AND PARKS STILL OPEN

MONROE COUNTY – Monroe County continues to follow the directives of the Centers for Disease Control and the Florida Department of Health, as well as Executive Orders issued by the Governor.

The County is continuing to keep county-owned parks and beaches open since there were no issues at the parks and beaches have been reported today. County officials stress the importance of keeping these open since parks offer space where people can get fresh air and exercise while practicing social distancing, which is good for mental and physical health. Park users must follow the directive of the State that says all congregating must be done in small groups of less than 10 people. Law enforcement is doing regular patrolling of all areas. County-owned playgrounds are being sanitized twice daily until further notice.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation is responsible for enforcing the restaurant and bar directives put in place by the State of Florida.  Restaurants are required to operate at 50 percent capacity with the creation of seating 6 feet apart for tables. All bars and nightclubs within the County that receive 50 percent or more of their revenue from the sale of alcohol need to continue suspend the sale of alcohol.

Libraries will remain open. Patrons are to also follow the State’s directive against gathering in groups of more 10 people. The library system has implemented an optional curbside pickup service for checkout and hold pickup. Call your local branch for more details. In addition, the library has suspended all programing and events but will be providing virtual programing through social media and their website. If you do not have a library card, the library is offering a virtual card that can be created online. For more information www.keyslibraries.org.

The County also decided to scale down non-essential operations to reduce people in offices to groups less than 10 and maintaining 6 feet social distancing. The County is encouraging those in the community who can work from home to do so, especially if they are considered a part of the vulnerable population. Monroe County is suspending all in-person consultations until further notice. Information on contacting departments can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov.

Key West International Airport reported that there are 4 times as many people leaving on outbound flights than are arriving on incoming flights.  There has been a dramatic decrease in passenger arrivals in recent days.

As of 3:16 p.m. today, according to the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, there are no confirmed cases in Monroe County. Testing continues throughout the county at the discretion of a doctor or healthcare professional.

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