Coronavirus Update: Key Biscayne Feels COVID-19 Impact
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Key Biscayne has over the years been ravaged by hurricanes, but never by a silent hurricane-like COVID-19 has turned out to be.
An electric sign sends a message by Key Biscayne government leaders concerned about visitors to the island.
Mayor Michael Davey says, "Twenty to twenty-five percent of our population is elderly seniors and a lot of them have caretakers who come out who spend their days with them."
Early on, there was talk of sealing off the island. A roadblock, checkpoint or keeping the population isolated.
"We are monitoring traffic coming and going and we are trying to maintain, look, it has gotten a lot better since the start. Initially, we had a lot of spring breakers out there coming to the beaches," Mayor Davey says.
The checkpoint operates from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. while the nightly village curfew is on, the mayor says he feels his constituents are doing a good job of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
But many condo dwellers, 45 of them have tested positive for the coronavirus.
"I think there are more. A lot have not been tested," said the Mayor.
"Look. There are concerns. People are stuck inside. We are denser than Chicago. These people are living in close proximity and they need to be mindful of their neighbor. Looking out for one another and doing the best we can to reduce the spread and flatten the curve."
Key Biscayne does not have a local radio station for information, but there is an online newspaper and the mayor delivers daily reports on channel 77.