Concern Over Gov. Scott's Communication On Zika & Call For Aerial Spraying On Miami Beach
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It's been two days since the state has updated the public on Zika.
If you wanted to know about the six new confirmed cases on Miami Beach, you would have to look at a commissioner's Facebook post.
There's still massive concern about how the state and governor's office are communicating.
"Obviously, we hope we'd have better communication and we wish the governor's office would have better communication," Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said. "You know, you shouldn't be governing by press releases."
It was through a press release that Mayor Levine learned of the Gov. Rick Scott's plan for aerial spraying on the beach.
"Mayor Gimenez and I had no idea. I had no idea," he said. "It just came out as a press release."
Aerial spraying is something the mayor and a lot of his constituents don't want to see happen.
"I'm not in favor of it. I think we've had great success without it, but unfortunately this is the decision of the governor," Levine said. "We're just wishing he would let us know so we can talk to our people about it."
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Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco added, "Even when they did it in Wynwood, I was getting calls and I'm not the commissioner of Wynwood. I can tell you that as to a significant majority of folks that have reached out to me, and I'm talking hundreds of people, they have expressed their displeasure in the counties decision to do it across the bay and they definitely don't want it here."
Grieco has drafted a letter to the county mayor and governor reiterating his opposition to aerial spraying. His resolution will focus, in part, on the dangerous chemicals used.
"Why run the risk? What we're doing is working," he said.
While the commissioner and mayor make sure residents voices are being heard, they can't forget about the visitors.
After a week of being back in the national spotlight, after infected mosquitoes were found on Miami Beach and then learning of six new locally transmitted cases, the mayor is trying his hardest to stay ahead of this Zika battle.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau says people are still coming to the beach, and they want to keep it that way.
"The beaches are packed. The beaches are crowded. The hotels are crowded. This is going on in Miami, so I think the most important thing is to make sure our residence and our visitors understand what's going on in this very small area and knowing that we're doing everything in our power to a eradicate the mosquitoes."
Click here for more information on the Zika virus or here for more Zika-related stories.
