City of Key Colony Beach Official City Website

NEWS RELEASE May 17, 2020

Kristen Livengood, Public Information Officer

305-680-8226, Livengood-Kristen@monroecounty-fl.gov

 

MONROE COUNTY PREPARES FOR LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS TO REOPEN AND REMOVAL OF CHECKPOINTS

MONROE COUNTY – Monroe County plans to reopen to visitors Monday, June 1 by suspending the checkpoints on U.S. 1 and State Road 905 and allowing lodging establishments to take guests at 50 percent occupancy.

Monroe County lodging establishments, like hotels, campgrounds, vacation rentals, and other transient-licensed establishments will be required to implement sanitation procedures and follow the American Hotel and Lodging Association COVID-19 guidelines for enhanced cleaning practices (www.ahla.com). The timeline for removing the 50 percent capacity restriction for lodging will be determined at a later date.

Per Governor Executive Order 20-123, the County Administrator will submit a written request and safety plan to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary to seek approval for the operation of vacation rentals.

Airport screenings and bus restrictions will also be lifted on June 1.

This is subject to revision based on data regarding the prevalence of the virus within Monroe County, increased testing and contact tracing protocols, and the efforts in the adjacent counties to continue to control transmission of the virus. All other requirements are not lifted. Should the Florida Keys experience an increase in cases and under the advisement of the Florida Department of Health, restrictions may be heightened and/or amenities may again be closed.

Monroe County residents are urged to continue to follow directives set by the State, County, and municipalities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks in public settings, limiting group sizes to 10 or less, and physically distancing from others by six feet. More information on COVID-19 efforts in Monroe County can be found at www.monroecountyem.com/covid19. Tourism-related information can be found at www.fla-keys.com.

The Florida Keys have been closed to visitors since March 22 to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Full Phase 1 Information

 

Governor’s Order 5.16.2020

 

A Letter from the Mayors of Monroe County to Governor Desantis

April 30, 2020

Dear Governor DeSantis:

We, the undersigned Mayors of the Florida Keys, thank you for continuing to recognize the importance of local solutions and adaptations to the COVID19 pandemic and wish to underscore the importance of maintaining the County line checkpoint as each of our jurisdictions start to reinvigorate our economies. The continued presence of the checkpoint is a key protective measure that will actually help us to reopen our local businesses in the measured way you described yesterday.

As you have repeatedly stated, the three southeast Florida counties to our immediate north are the epicenter of the pandemic in the State. The checkpoint has prevented the hotspot from spreading south into the Keys and overwhelming our limited health care facilities.

We collectively endorse the continuation of checkpoint until the situation in our immediate neighbors to the north has measurably improved.

Respectfully,

Heather Carruthers – Monroe County Mayor

Teri Johnston – Key West Mayor

Steve Cook – Marathon Mayor

Mike Forster –   Islamorada Mayor

John DeNeale – Key Colony Beach Mayor

Bruce Halle –  Layton Mayor