The Florida Keys, the state's tourism engine, will reopen on June 1

The Florida Keys plan to reopen their doors to tourism on June 1, after weeks of inactivity due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And statement signed by the public information officer of Monroe County, Kristen Livengood, assures that by that date the establishments will begin to accommodate – at 50 percent of their capacity – visitors who wish to arrive and the checkpoints will be removed.

"He Monroe County plans to reopen to visitors on Monday, June 1 by suspending checkpoints at US 1 and State Road 905, and allowing lodging establishments to receive guests at 50 percent occupancy,” the text states.

The beautiful cays of Florida They are a fundamental driver of the economy and tourism in the state, but have been closed since March 22 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

However, the restriction has generated the loss of thousands of jobs and has dealt a blow to the local economy, which with the opening to tourism plans to begin its recovery.

On May 1, some businesses such as restaurants and shops opened their doors, but only to local residents.

Among the measures established for the reopening of the Keys to tourism are the following:

• Lodging establishments such as hotels, campgrounds, vacation rentals and others with temporary licenses must implement sanitation procedures and follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines established by the American Hotel and Lodging Association to enhance cleaning practices.
• The timeline for removing the 50 percent capacity restriction for lodging will be determined at a later date.
• The County Administrator may request a safety plan in writing from the Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation for approval of the operation of vacation rentals.
• Airport screenings and bus restrictions will also be lifted on June 1.
• These measures will be subject to review based on data on the prevalence of the virus in Monroe County.
• Consideration will be given to increased testing and contact tracing protocols, and efforts in adjacent counties to continue controlling transmission of the virus.
• Should the Florida Keys experience an increase in cases and under the advice of the Florida Department of Health, restrictions may increase and/or services may be closed again.

At the end of the statement, Livengood stated that authorities urge Monroe County residents to follow the established health directives by the state, county and municipalities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Mask wearing should continue even in public settings, group sizes should be limited to 10 people or less, and social distancing of six feet should be maintained.

In Monroe, 99 cases of coronavirus have been reported since the start of the pandemic, 3 deaths and 12 hospitalizations due to the disease. In Florida the total number of infections is 46,442 and there are 1,997 deaths due to the new pathogen.