When will Phase 2 start in Florida? It’s been the big question in Brevard County and Indian River County as we enter the second week of Phase 1 Full.
Some sources say Gov. Ron DeSantis may begin Phase 2 on Monday, June 1, 2020, or Monday, June 8, 2020. But, we haven’t seen anything to indicate that the governor is ready for the second phase.
However, DeSantis did say the COVID-19 numbers are still dropping on average. There were a couple of spikes following Phase 1 Full, but the numbers dropped again, averaging 400 to 700 new cases per day in Florida. Some residents fear that Florida may be reopening too fast.
On May 4, 2020, DeSantis started Phase 1 to reopen Florida. Last week, Phase 1 Full started, which allowed gyms and hair salons to reopen with limited capacity.
In Sebastian, nearly all restaurants are open but are hurting with the restrictions. Masks are the biggest complaint among restaurant patrons. Some customers feel all staff who handle food should be wearing a mask.
Masks are not mandatory at restaurants or any other businesses. The CDC only recommends a mask in public settings if a person has COVID-19 symptoms and where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Sebastian hasn’t changed in nearly two months, suggesting there are no new cases. Malabar, Grant, and Barefoot Bay still have one case each, while Micco has zero. Also, Fellsmere recently jumped from one to three cases last week.
Palm Bay and Vero Beach still have new cases each week, but very minimal.
Overall, Indian River County and Brevard County are doing well when compared to other counties down south.
The number of COVID-19 deaths in Indian River County is still nine, and it’s been that way for about two months. Brevard County recently had two more deaths last week, bringing their total to 11 victims.
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