Beachgoers in South Florida will at least have one option to go Monday after locations across the area were closed during the July 4th weekend due to concerns with the coronavirus pandemic.
Broward County beaches reopened Monday after being closed since last Friday following an order signed by county mayor Dale Holness. Beaches in both Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, which also closed during the holiday weekend, are set to reopen on Tuesday.
"It is alarming and we have to do everything we can to protect ourselves and our community and our economy," Holness said during a press conference last weekend.
"We feel we will not be able to provide the necessary safe environment everyone is entitled to enjoy when they come to our beaches," added Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis.
Florida health officials say the state has reached a grim milestone: more than 200,000 people have tested positive for the novel virus since the start of the outbreak.
State statistics released Sunday show an additional 10,059 confirmed cases, with the total reaching 200,111. The highest number of confirmed cases in one day came Saturday, when more than 11,400 cases were reported.
Florida has seen a large increase in cases in the past several weeks, with nearly 60,000 confirmed in the last seven days, about 30% of the total count.
