Coronavirus Update: Florida Keys Officials Discuss How To Phase Relaxing Protective Measures
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Monroe County Emergency Management officials have begun designing the draft framework to discuss relaxing the protective measures in the Florida Keys.
Monroe officials say the relaxing of protective measures will be data-driven and flexible and done at the advisement of the Florida Department of Health.
As with other South Florida counties, the relaxing of protective measures will include "no new cases or a steady downward trend for at least two weeks, and analysis of results as testing becomes more widespread."
Officials say the timeline for applying any benchmarks will not be tied to specific dates and some potential benchmarks may move faster or slower.
They also say that if issues re-arise, protective measures could be re-implemented.
Here is what they had to say:
• The draft framework is meant to be flexible and to change as our reality evolves, which will include results of increased testing.
• All decisions will be made with guidance and consultation with the Florida Dept. of Health, based on science and data.
• The County will take into consideration the actions of the counties closest to us.
• There are no real hard timeframes. A good starting point is being discussed as a period of two weeks of declining infections. Additional actions will be based on what we are being advised based on the data, which will include testing results.
• Details for the general direction of these actions will be discussed with input from key stakeholders, like hoteliers and restaurants.
• As always, municipalities will have the liberty to amend these guidelines as appropriate, provided they are not less restrictive.
Additionally, officials said:
"The framework's first phases are designed to provide some relief for residents of the Florida Keys and include opening outdoor recreational facilities throughout Monroe County and to begin the re-opening of non-essential businesses. Subsequent actions based on meeting benchmarks include easing protective measures on wearing masks in public settings, reopening restaurants to onsite dining with capacity restrictions, and allowing groups of more than 10 people to gather. Some of these actions will be based on state restrictions also being removed."
"The final phases would involve reopening the Florida Keys to visitors. Assuming benchmarks are met for containment of the virus in a broader geographic area, actions would include discontinuing capacity restrictions on restaurants, reopening lodging, removing the checkpoints coming into the Florida Keys, and lifting screening measures at the airports. Reaching these final benchmarks will be dependent on external factors and the state of COVID-19 cases in Miami-Dade and other major hubs that frequent the Florida Keys."
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