Key West to close non-essential retail and commercial stores due to COVID-19
The city of Key West on Saturday ordered all non-essential retail and commercial businesses to close by 5 p.m. Monday.
It’s the latest in a series of emergency declarations city and county leaders have made this week in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Essential businesses that may remain open include healthcare providers, banks, grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, pet supply stores, veterinarians, marinas, funeral homes, office supply stores, construction sites, dry goods stores, laundry services, hardware stores, taxis, businesses that ship mail, nonprofits that provide services for the needy, and many more, the city’s order reads.
The entire Florida Keys has one reported, travel-related COVID-19 case.
The patient is a 72-year-old woman in Key Largo who recently traveled to the United Kingdom, and she is expected to make a full recovery, state health department officials said.
She lived in a gated community in Key Largo.
Florida Keys to close all hotels starting Sunday in response to coronavirus crisis
Key West, which is in high-season and typically would be packed on a beautiful, sunshine-splashed day like Saturday, was eerily quite downtown, where streets were empty and bars shuttered.
Tourists have left in droves due to the coronavirus crisis and now an order by the county to close all hotels in the Florida Keys at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Higgs Beach in Key West had a light crowd on Saturday but several of the sunbathers and volleyball players were locals taking some time to work off some stress.
Restaurants were ordered to stop serving customers on-site and only offer delivery or takeout before the governor made a statewide decree.
‘You might as well shutter the town.’ Florida Keys brace for a future without tourists
The city has been more stringent in its COVID-19 emergency declarations, shutting down city-owned beaches, parks and tourist traps like the Southernmost Point buoy and the nightly Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square festival.
Meanwhile, the county has left its beaches and parks open.
“County officials see it as a space where residents can practice social distancing that is productive for mental and physical health,” said county spokeswoman Kristen Livengood. “County-owned playgrounds are being sanitized twice daily until further notice.”
The county has told people to practice social distancing and not congregate in groups of 10 or more at the beaches and parks. Police regularly patrol the sites, Livengood said.
