So, lets say everything will be closed for two weeks. But it will take at least another two weeks for tourists to start making reservations, so we;ll have to stay without work for at least a month!
How many people can afford to stay without work even for two weeks?
The virus will not disappear within two weeks, so you will have to keep everything closed longer or you will have to let people go back to work 'cause there will be too many unhappy people who can't survive without work any longer. So, closing everything the first time would be in vain.
Many people left Key West due to Irma 'cause they just couldn't afford to live here without working. And it will happen again if island shuts down
The Federal government and experts are giving advice and the Mayors and Commissioners of Monroe County and it's cities should promptly take action to follow those recommendations. You need to protect the citizens of Key West and Monroe county by closing the bars and restaurants, evacuate the tourists and close the airport. Put a roadblock at the 18 mile stretch if necessary, but keep people from coming here. Treat this as an emergency in the same way you do for a hurricane.
I'm a server in Key West and depend on tips for a living, however I'm becoming very concerned for me and my community's safety. It's hard to stand by and watch all these states taking precautions, closing bars/restaurants, mean while the Keys are business as usual. I waited on people from VA, PA, OH, KY, NJ who came down here since we are still open. Florida has more confirmed cases of Covid-19 than these states, yet we have not taken the same precautions. Restaurants have more than 10 people gathered and tables right next to each other. The staff is in constant contact with used glasses and silverware. At some point the community's health and safety has to be more important that money!
As of last Friday, the Federal Government took the extraordinary steps to ask people to distance themselves socially to slow the spread of the infection. The fact that we haven't yet recorded a case here is no reason to believe our community is safe. If we act quickly and pull together, we will get through this much quicker than if we wait. The key is to ask the tourists to go home, and have the local population go home for the next 2 weeks. Then take stock of where we are. If we don't, then this could impact us for months. Closing Bars, restaurants, gyms, and to a lesser extent, hotels, will expedite our return to a normal and healthy state for residents and tourists alike.
We cannot be known as the place that attracts thousands of tourists, packs them like sardines into bars and charter boats in the time of pandemic and sends them back to the four corners of this country to infect their families and community members. Key West cannot become the "Typhoid Mary" of Covid-19. My suggestions: 1. Shut down tourism 2. Adopt a temp moratorium on evictions 3. Use emergency funds to join the Hospital District (over $11M unrestricted funds 2018) to equip one hotel as a temporary hospital with enough ventilators and other necessary equipment.
It is time to order the evacuation of non-Keys residents. It is time to turn available resources and efforts to supporting and protecting our residents, medically and financially. We are a tiny island whose resources can likely support ourselves; we cannot allow the possibility that our fragile system be overwhelmed by non-residents who decided playing in Key West was more fun than staying at home. We understand visitor evacuation when we face down a hurricane; I suspect we can do so now. Gov. DeSantis gave Key West a home rule gift on Monday. He left the decisions for protecting a community up to the community and its leaders. Please use that opportunity to close the island to visitors."
Perhaps the TDC can put those suspended advertising dollars towards supporting the soon to be impacted service industry employees who made their campaign a success all these years.
Please do not make the same mistakes so many others have made. The CDC has made their recommendation without any influence and are neutral scientists. Tourism is a huge part of our economy but it is also the worst thing we can continue to do in regards to potential exposure. It is foolish to wait for a problem you see happening all over the world to make the necessary tough decisions to safe guard our paradise. We are Key’s strong only when we stick together and safeguard the things we all hold dear.... “Our families, neighbors & paradise we call come” Please consider shutting down tourism to minimize our exposure risks. The residents vs tourist #’s are staggering. Do the right thing!!
I support the implementation of more protective measures pertaining to Covid-19. Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Washington, Los Angeles and New York City have limited restaurants to delivery and takeout orders while shutting down all bars at least until the end of the month. In news interviews with officials from several of these places, the officials bluntly stated that such restrictive measures were required because people were not heeding warnings from the government and CDC on social distancing. Refusing to act threatens to put us on the same path as Italy, whose people are suffering greatly. Absent a firm directive from state or federal officials, it is up to you to do the right thing.
Shutting down bars and restaurants will hurt everyone, especially workers.
It's already bad enough that people are scared and that you decided to close beaches and tourist attractions.
Each year we have the flu and there's no way to prevent it. People die from it but nobody makes such a big deal out of it!
Unfortunately, news media is trying to scare people and create panic. State and local governments aid in adding to panic by shutting down bars, restaurants, public places.
Key West already suffers from this panic. Let's not make more restrictions, which would deter people from coming here.
If bars will be closed how long are you planning to keep people without a paycheck?
The CDC’s 3/16/20 guidance (small print/bottom) says: “In STATES with evidence of community transmission, bars, restaurants, food courts, gyms, and other indoor and outdoor venues where groups of people congregate should be closed.” I urge you to heed this guidance and to order the immediate shut down of all bars, restaurants (take-out/delivery only) and charter boats and to send a clear message to tourists to do their part and remain home. I suggest you challenge all landlords (commercial and apartments) to defer rent payments for tenants directly affected by the shut down order and use emergency funds to ensure that the out of work employees are able to feed themselves during this crisis.
a cruise ship of 2,500 people is more than a 10 people gathering. Just because they spread out when they arrive and walk into Key West does not make them OK to come to Key West.
Bit like 2000 people watching Willie Nelson at the Amphitheatre, but that's OK - the fans spread out when they leave the concert
This morning, the President recommended gatherings of no more than 10 people. Today in Key West, restaurants and bars in Key West remained crowded. Tourists are still arriving. The economic impact will be less if we act now. If we leave it to individuals to follow guidance, there will be more where people are congregating, eating, and the virus can spread. Our hospital cannot handle a full outbreak. I urge you to act with an abundance of caution, with policies to protect our community. Delivery and pickup food only, no bars. I also encourage a moratorium on evictions, like other cities, as many workers will be soon out of work and the cost of living is one of the highest in the country.
I strongly support working from home in these trying times, especially anyone that works for the City or other organizations that work a desk job and have limited public interactions. I am all for helping the residents of my city but I do not want to help them while putting them at risk as well as my kids and myself.
Please protect out health and long term economy by closing restaurants, bars and beaches. We cannot rely on greedy business owners and drunk spring breakers to be responsible but we should be able to rely on our city leaders to be. proactive.
I support taking aggressive measures, including closure or extreme limits on bars and restaurants. Reducing flights and other tourism.
I would like Key West to follow the protocols suggested by the CDC. Limiting social gatherings to less than 50 people as well as encouraging social distance.
We can no longer ignore the world's experts, leading epidemiologists and scientists have watched other nations fail to act and witness the consequences. Exponential growth is going to cripple this nation on many ways. Our local hospital is woefully unprepared.
Our population trends older, they need to be protected. We must act now, arrogance and greed can not supercede humanity & common goodness.
So, lets say everything will be closed for two weeks. But it will take at least another two weeks for tourists to start making reservations, so we;ll have to stay without work for at least a month!
How many people can afford to stay without work even for two weeks?
The virus will not disappear within two weeks, so you will have to keep everything closed longer or you will have to let people go back to work 'cause there will be too many unhappy people who can't survive without work any longer. So, closing everything the first time would be in vain.
Many people left Key West due to Irma 'cause they just couldn't afford to live here without working. And it will happen again if island shuts down
The Federal government and experts are giving advice and the Mayors and Commissioners of Monroe County and it's cities should promptly take action to follow those recommendations. You need to protect the citizens of Key West and Monroe county by closing the bars and restaurants, evacuate the tourists and close the airport. Put a roadblock at the 18 mile stretch if necessary, but keep people from coming here. Treat this as an emergency in the same way you do for a hurricane.
When will testing be widely available in Key West?
I'm a server in Key West and depend on tips for a living, however I'm becoming very concerned for me and my community's safety. It's hard to stand by and watch all these states taking precautions, closing bars/restaurants, mean while the Keys are business as usual. I waited on people from VA, PA, OH, KY, NJ who came down here since we are still open. Florida has more confirmed cases of Covid-19 than these states, yet we have not taken the same precautions. Restaurants have more than 10 people gathered and tables right next to each other. The staff is in constant contact with used glasses and silverware. At some point the community's health and safety has to be more important that money!
As of last Friday, the Federal Government took the extraordinary steps to ask people to distance themselves socially to slow the spread of the infection. The fact that we haven't yet recorded a case here is no reason to believe our community is safe. If we act quickly and pull together, we will get through this much quicker than if we wait. The key is to ask the tourists to go home, and have the local population go home for the next 2 weeks. Then take stock of where we are. If we don't, then this could impact us for months. Closing Bars, restaurants, gyms, and to a lesser extent, hotels, will expedite our return to a normal and healthy state for residents and tourists alike.
We cannot be known as the place that attracts thousands of tourists, packs them like sardines into bars and charter boats in the time of pandemic and sends them back to the four corners of this country to infect their families and community members. Key West cannot become the "Typhoid Mary" of Covid-19. My suggestions: 1. Shut down tourism 2. Adopt a temp moratorium on evictions 3. Use emergency funds to join the Hospital District (over $11M unrestricted funds 2018) to equip one hotel as a temporary hospital with enough ventilators and other necessary equipment.
It is time to order the evacuation of non-Keys residents. It is time to turn available resources and efforts to supporting and protecting our residents, medically and financially. We are a tiny island whose resources can likely support ourselves; we cannot allow the possibility that our fragile system be overwhelmed by non-residents who decided playing in Key West was more fun than staying at home. We understand visitor evacuation when we face down a hurricane; I suspect we can do so now. Gov. DeSantis gave Key West a home rule gift on Monday. He left the decisions for protecting a community up to the community and its leaders. Please use that opportunity to close the island to visitors."
Perhaps the TDC can put those suspended advertising dollars towards supporting the soon to be impacted service industry employees who made their campaign a success all these years.
Please do not make the same mistakes so many others have made. The CDC has made their recommendation without any influence and are neutral scientists. Tourism is a huge part of our economy but it is also the worst thing we can continue to do in regards to potential exposure. It is foolish to wait for a problem you see happening all over the world to make the necessary tough decisions to safe guard our paradise. We are Key’s strong only when we stick together and safeguard the things we all hold dear.... “Our families, neighbors & paradise we call come” Please consider shutting down tourism to minimize our exposure risks. The residents vs tourist #’s are staggering. Do the right thing!!
I support the implementation of more protective measures pertaining to Covid-19. Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Washington, Los Angeles and New York City have limited restaurants to delivery and takeout orders while shutting down all bars at least until the end of the month. In news interviews with officials from several of these places, the officials bluntly stated that such restrictive measures were required because people were not heeding warnings from the government and CDC on social distancing. Refusing to act threatens to put us on the same path as Italy, whose people are suffering greatly. Absent a firm directive from state or federal officials, it is up to you to do the right thing.
Shutting down bars and restaurants will hurt everyone, especially workers.
It's already bad enough that people are scared and that you decided to close beaches and tourist attractions.
Each year we have the flu and there's no way to prevent it. People die from it but nobody makes such a big deal out of it!
Unfortunately, news media is trying to scare people and create panic. State and local governments aid in adding to panic by shutting down bars, restaurants, public places.
Key West already suffers from this panic. Let's not make more restrictions, which would deter people from coming here.
If bars will be closed how long are you planning to keep people without a paycheck?
The CDC’s 3/16/20 guidance (small print/bottom) says: “In STATES with evidence of community transmission, bars, restaurants, food courts, gyms, and other indoor and outdoor venues where groups of people congregate should be closed.” I urge you to heed this guidance and to order the immediate shut down of all bars, restaurants (take-out/delivery only) and charter boats and to send a clear message to tourists to do their part and remain home. I suggest you challenge all landlords (commercial and apartments) to defer rent payments for tenants directly affected by the shut down order and use emergency funds to ensure that the out of work employees are able to feed themselves during this crisis.
a cruise ship of 2,500 people is more than a 10 people gathering. Just because they spread out when they arrive and walk into Key West does not make them OK to come to Key West.
Bit like 2000 people watching Willie Nelson at the Amphitheatre, but that's OK - the fans spread out when they leave the concert
This morning, the President recommended gatherings of no more than 10 people. Today in Key West, restaurants and bars in Key West remained crowded. Tourists are still arriving. The economic impact will be less if we act now. If we leave it to individuals to follow guidance, there will be more where people are congregating, eating, and the virus can spread. Our hospital cannot handle a full outbreak. I urge you to act with an abundance of caution, with policies to protect our community. Delivery and pickup food only, no bars. I also encourage a moratorium on evictions, like other cities, as many workers will be soon out of work and the cost of living is one of the highest in the country.
I strongly support working from home in these trying times, especially anyone that works for the City or other organizations that work a desk job and have limited public interactions. I am all for helping the residents of my city but I do not want to help them while putting them at risk as well as my kids and myself.
Please protect out health and long term economy by closing restaurants, bars and beaches. We cannot rely on greedy business owners and drunk spring breakers to be responsible but we should be able to rely on our city leaders to be. proactive.
Hello, I would like to make my comment...
thank you
Jason
I support taking aggressive measures, including closure or extreme limits on bars and restaurants. Reducing flights and other tourism.
I would like Key West to follow the protocols suggested by the CDC. Limiting social gatherings to less than 50 people as well as encouraging social distance.
We can no longer ignore the world's experts, leading epidemiologists and scientists have watched other nations fail to act and witness the consequences. Exponential growth is going to cripple this nation on many ways. Our local hospital is woefully unprepared.
Our population trends older, they need to be protected. We must act now, arrogance and greed can not supercede humanity & common goodness.