Gov. Ron DeSantis Photo Source: Tampa Bay Times
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis has received mixed views for the reopening of his state to the public. Some see his actions as too premature, putting thousands of lives at risk, while others believe he is taking the appropriate measures at returning his state back to normalcy. Last weekend, Gov. Desantis distributed a statewide notice that he would be opening all public assets to the people, with limited restrictions, beginning Monday, May 4th. All public beaches and restaurants are now accessible to the population for the first time in about a month.
Social distancing is still in effect, and the use of masks is still being recommended by state officials, but besides that, it seems that the natural order of things is returning to the sunshine state. I was curious as to how much would really change within the state after certain restrictions were lifted, and since the two months I’ve been here, it never seemed like strict regulations were implemented. People were out and about as I drove to the local supermarket, no masks, and no distance between one another. Stores were quite packed, and at times I had trouble making my way throughout the isles if you can believe that. Grasping this reality was difficult, coming from New York where the amount of cases is much higher, and one’s daily life is entirely altered. At first, it seemed that people weren’t taking it as seriously down here, following their everyday routine regardless of the severity of the virus. So, with restaurants being accessible again, I decided to grab a bite to eat to see how people reacted to the restoration of the state.
My two sisters and I went to grab lunch at “Sunset Grille”, a seafood restaurant in downtown St. Augustine Beach. The sidewalks were packed with eager beachgoers for the entirety of our drive. I may have spotted a couple of masks, but for the most part, it didn’t seem like anyone really bothered to put one on. Beaches running along the road were jam-packed, and the flow of traffic came to an abrupt halt due to the overflow of people crossing the street. Even before we arrived at the restaurant, I was able to see just how ambitious, or impatient people were to get out of their house and back into the Florida sun. The drive gave me hope yet scared me at the same time. It was such a joyful scene, watching these people going back to the lives they love, feeling content again, made me look past the virus and into a brighter future. But simultaneously I felt worried. I find it rather risky allowing individuals to go back to their daily lives too early, cases may rise significantly, putting more lives in danger. And trust me, I want nothing more than for everything to go back to normal, but it’s imperative we do it at a tolerable pace.
After our somewhat lengthy trip, we had finally arrived at “Sunset Grille”. The place was absolutely packed. A rather big establishment too, I was surprised at how long it took us to be seated at an open table. As we walked to our seats, I couldn’t help but notice that not a single person was wearing a mask, not even the waiting staff or bartenders. I was curious if the staff had to follow any explicit orders to possibly limit the spread of the virus, so I asked our waiter. He said they were required to wash their hands as much as possible and avoid any physical interactions with the customers. Which seemed silly to me for all customers who are touching the same plates as the waiting staff. He did, however, say that he was thrilled to have been open again, and that management could not wait to go back to feeding the public.
The revival of business and returning to a state of financial stability seems to be of the utmost importance down here. The overall outlook is that if state officials continue to limit the individual’s capability of obtaining an income, then the virus may not be the only thing putting them in harm’s way. A truly awful situation that does not seem to have an acceptable solution quite yet. But, if we do ultimately see a spike in the number of cases down here, we will certainly know why.
