FL Governor Reopens State-Run Parks; 34,728 Coronavirus Cases

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday he is reopening state-run parks, including some with beaches, beginning Monday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Florida climbed to 34,728.

"Beginning Monday, May 4, Florida’s world renowned state park system will be opening back up," the governor said, speaking at a state park in Jacksonville.

Florida has 175 parks, trails and historic sites that fall under the state parks system. The state also has a number of county and local parks that are not affected by the governor's action. State parks have been closed since March 23.

"We’ll have 80 to start on Monday," DeSantis said. "It’s kind of a phased approach. I do think some of the southeast Florida counties we’ll have open."

Click here to see a list of open parks and available amenities.

DeSantis praised the recent beach openings in Jacksonville's Duval County despite widespread criticism.

"We are using what Mayor (Lenny) Curry did here in Jacksonville as a great model," DeSantis insisted.

The Duval County reopening had been widely criticized in the media for the apparent absence of social distancing in news video and photographs taken at the time of the reopening. The opening spawned the hashtag #FloridaMoron on social media.

Curry insisted at Friday's press conference with the governor that his decision to reopen the beaches was based on data.

"We’re observing people in grocery stores for weeks because they have to get essentials," Curry said. "And while that’s happening, you don’t have large outbreaks. So with the data ... it made sense to open wide spaces, to let people move and remind them to social distance."

DeSantis said the reopening of state parks would be good for Floridians.

"I think it’s going to be good for their peace of mind because people have been cooped up a lot," he said. "I wanted people to be getting recreation and still there were only so many options. So now we have more options and I think they can do it in a way that’s safe."

Friday's coronavirus total represents an increase of 1,038 new cases of the virus being reported throughout the state over the previous 24-hour period

The death toll in Florida also rose to 1,314 Friday, which represents an increase of 46 more deaths over the previous 24-hour period.

Miami-Dade reported six new deaths on Friday, fewer than in previous days. Nearby Broward County reported 14 new deaths. Palm Beach County reported five new deaths.

Charlotte County reported three more deaths. Duval County reported two new deaths as did Collier County, Manatee County and Sarasota County.

Hillsborough County reported one new death. Clay County reported one new death as did Escambia County, Lake County, Lee County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Santa Rosa County, St. Lucie County, Sumter County and Indian River County.

Florida restaurants and retailers were given the OK by DeSantis to reopen starting Monday with reduced occupancy requirements and social distancing rules in effect though the order temporarily excluded Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The governor also ordered the resumption of elective medical procedures throughout the state but did not address bars and hair salons. See Florida Restaurants Reopening, Governor Excludes SoFlo Counties

Miami-Dade reported a total of 12,389 confirmed cases as of Friday, more than any other county. Nearby Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale, reported 5,144 cases. Palm Beach County, which includes West Palm Beach, reported 2,963 cases. Those three counties account for some 60 percent of all Florida cases.

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Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, reported 1,163 cases as of Friday. Orange County, which includes Orlando, reported 1,413 cases.

In an attempt to provide as much information to our readers as possible, Patch is publishing the following county-by-county breakdown of the coronavirus cases in Florida's 67 counties, along with the median age of patients, the number of hospital cases by county and the number of deaths.

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• Which Florida Beaches Are Open, Closed By Coronavirus Outbreak
• FL Governor Opens Up State Coronavirus Testing Sites To Everyone
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• Miami Police Navigate Coronavirus As Chief Battles Infection
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• Florida To Keep Classrooms Shut Down For Remainder Of School Year
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Patch had been updating this chart twice each day based on data provided by the Florida Department of Health. Health officials on April 25 announced they would provide only one update per day so Patch is adjusting our coverage accordingly. The counties that reported new deaths on Friday are shown in bold.

Here is the most recent data: