Florida to reopen bars, pack restaurants after DeSantis claims Covid-19 under control

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a top state official on Thursday cleared the way for bars to reopen and restaurants to begin packing in patrons again, even as some pockets of the state recorded recent spikes in positive Covid-19 test results.

Florida's top alcohol regulator said late Thursday he will allow bars to reopen statewide at 50 percent capacity starting on Monday. The move by Halsey Beshears, the secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, gives the industry a second chance at heeding safety precautions meant to protect the spread of the virus after an earlier attempt to ease restrictions fueled a resurgence of the virus in Florida.

In a statement, Beshears said he believes bars and breweries are now committed to health and safety standards amid the presence of the virus.

“It’s vital that we start moving forward with this sector of our hospitality industry who have endured one of the toughest paths for sustaining a business during this pandemic,” said.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2020/09/10/desantis-will-let-florida-restaurants-pack-dining-rooms-soon-1316481

[ZZenith]

1. "Meant to protect the spread of the virus..."

Ummm...

[LisaL]

2. That sounds like they want to ensure poor virus can safely spread.

Although I doubt that's what the author actually meant.

[ZZenith]

5. Politico had an editor once a long, long time ago.

[NoMoreRepugs]

3. With decreased testing of course the numbers look better.

If you don’t have any means to pay do you really think everyone who might be sick with Covid is seeking treatment? I live in Florida, not everyone here graduated cum laude believe me.

This is going to be a disaster just like the school opening will turn out to be.

[patphil]

4. under control?

There hasn't been a single day in Florida in the last 3 months where the number of new cases has dipped below 1,800.
Over the same time period, New York State hasn't had a single day over 1,400, and only a few days over 1,000.
For the record, these two states have about the same population.
One of these two states is doing a good job of managing the Covid pandemic, and it isn't Florida.

Prediction: Florida will see a strong spike in new cases in about 2 weeks.

[LastDemocratInSC]

6. Icebergs off the starboard bow, captain!

Turn 30 degrees to starboard and all engines ahead full speed!

[progree]

7. 20th highest state in daily new cases per capita, 7 day moving average. 13.6% positivity rate

so somewhat worse than the median in daily new cases per capita

at 87 cases per 100,000 in the past 7 days (12 per 100,000 per day)

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

Scroll down to the "Cases and deaths by state and county" table.
Sort it by the "per 100,000" column that follows the "cases in last 7 days" column

Florida is the 20th highest state on this list

========================================================

As for the trend:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/florida-coronavirus-cases.html

Daily new cases, 7 day moving average (not per capita but actual)
7/17: 11,870 peak -- at that time it was also the highest per capita of any state in the U.S.
9/09:  2,672

Last 14 days: down 24%

========================================================

Test Positivity rates https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/florida
It was at 19.6% in early July. It's still a quite high 13.6%, not good at all.
For the U.S. its 5.2%

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

10. positivity rate in Maine is .5%

And we still aren't allowing indoor bars. Sure it is helping to keep the case count low that the bars aren't open. Gov Mills has been doing a good job keeping things under control. Glad we have her right now and not LePage. Good leadership makes a big difference.

[Linda Ed]

8. Another one

that needs to be accused of manslaughter...DeSantis will do anything to cheat in this election just like Jeb Bush did for G W Bush ....So seniors what are you going to do now? Vote for this AH in our WH who is taking our SOCIAL SECURITY and MEDICARE? He and McConnell have already taken out 30 million dollars of our SS monies and put them in the stock market to make it look like he is doing such a fine job on the economy...They are THIEVES who need to be jailed!! Take em out!!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. What could possibly go wrong?

[lark]

11. DeathSentence can't stand it now that FL isn't in the news so has to increase the outbreak.

His mentor is mad that the #'s aren't high enough?

[CaptainTruth]

12. "What we've been doing has been working, so we're going to stop doing it."

As a Floridian, I hate DeathSantis.

[CTyankee]

13. "what fools these mortals be."

[ScratchCat]

14. 100% the result of football season

The problem is that most bars are the antithesis of what we need to do to beat Covid. The entire nature of bars/night clubs is the opposite of social distancing. Bars are loud, so one must talk loud and/or close to a person. This, again, is the opposite of what we are supposed to be doing. Further, bars are "hookup" spots. Because of this, you have close contact. Again.... no need to keep saying it.

I really feel for owners of bars and nightclubs. I really do. But there is no way to open these places during a pandemic which involves an airborne contagion. Add the fact that many of these places will be packed full, well over the 50% capacity and this is a disaster on the horizon.

[Javaman]

15. deSatan: moronically evil. nt