Over the past few months, the whole world has been in a quarantine state due to the coronavirus pandemic COVID-19. Every day, humanity is witnessing an increase in mortality among patients carrying the infection. Measures proposed by several countries have proven effective, and as a result, governments have begun to renew critical infrastructure systems. In particular, the news article on Local10.com reports how the mayor and governor of Florida decided to reopen some of the city’s facilities. This essay focuses on a critical analysis of the actions of the authorities and the effect that these actions will have on me.
The Coronavirus pandemic was the most discussed topic for the first five months of 2020. The smallest virus SARS-CoV-2, penetrating the human respiratory tract, affects them and causes pneumonia of a new type. For many people with reduced immunity, the virus is devastating (Algarin et al., 2020). According to statistics, there were 282,798 deaths by May 10, 2020, and this number continues to rise (Florida, 2020). Against the backdrop of the pandemic, authorities in many countries have decided to close external borders and severely restrict urban public facilities such as restaurants, shopping centers, beaches, and parks. All these measures were aimed at giving medical institutions more time to operate effectively.
From this position, it is more interesting to discuss the steps taken by the administration represented by Dave Kerner and Ron DeSantis. The article published on May 8, 2020, on the news portal Local10.com, tells about the gradual opening of public urban spaces against the background of a general decline in the incidence of diseases (Selig, 2020). On May 7, the mayor of the county sent a public letter to the governor expressing his desire to start the first phase of the opening on May 11. The governor, in turn, stated that he had no objections. Thus, already on May 11, Palm Beach is expected to reopen restaurants and retail enterprises by 25 percent. The city authorities pay special attention to the regime of educational institutions and care homes for the elderly: they continue to be closed for physical visits but continue to work remotely.
It should be additionally noted that these actions in the current conditions seem to be rather risky. Nevertheless, the journalistic article does not demonstrate the propaganda of government actions while remaining independent. This is expressed in the last paragraphs devoted to the alternative view of the resumption program. The author of the article separately points out that “a group of Democratic Congress members from Florida wrote a letter to DeSantis on Friday expressing “grave concerns” with his plan to open the state amid the COVID-19 outbreak” (Selig, 2020, para. 10). The letter resonates with me because I am still concerned about the situation in Miami. Although the total number of new infections seems to have peaked, Florida continues to experience a terrible number of daily episodes (“Florida,” 2020). However, this is also a concern for blog readers commenting on the news story. They claim that the measures to set up businesses are not justified or even illogical.
Indeed, these measures of the local authorities have an impact on me. As a student, I still have to stay in distance education and receive knowledge through videoconferences. It cannot be said that this is an inefficient way to organize training, however, it is not at all habitual. I still cannot meet my classmates or move freely around the city without threatening to join the sick. However, I do not think it is a big problem because people’s health is more valuable than the desire to meet a friend in a restaurant. It seems that the measures of the governments must meet the current demands of society. For this reason, the opening of public facilities should not have been rushed, but budget funds could have been redirected to increase medical testing and distribution of personal protective equipment.
In addition, it is essential to understand that opening some public places will legally allow residents to visit them: I am concerned that, as a result, it may lead to increased morbidity. Of course, in this situation, when the number of new, officially registered infections continues to rise, this measure seems strange. In other words, when Miami citizens are concerned about personal hygiene and safety for their health, it is unlikely that catering facilities will be popular.
However, with 25 percent of retail outlets back up and running, my life will be a little more comfortable. Stores and centers near my home, which are closed now, will be open. That means my life will start to go back to normal, and I will be able to shop where I feel comfortable. Although the coronavirus pandemic has had a panic effect on the population, I still continue to believe that if all the prescribed preventive measures are followed, the chart will be able to reach the plateau.
I am deeply convinced that the authorities’ policy of implementing Phase 1 will have an impact on Miami’s future: it will have two opposing effects. On the one hand, the authorities are trying to support small and medium-sized businesses by allowing them to work in such a challenging time. However, premature measures can only worsen the situation in the city, causing a wave of discontent among citizens. It should be noted that among the comments to the article, we can see publications related to the dissatisfaction of residents with the actions of the administration. It should be understood that I do not have the authority to eliminate these measures, but I can help indirectly. In particular, I will try to convince my relatives and close people that it is not reasonable to visit the opening establishments at the moment.
References
Algarin, A., Varas‑Rodríguez, E., Valdivia, C., Fennie, K., Larkey, L., Hu, N., & Ibañez, G. (2020). Symptoms, stress, and HIV‑related care among older people living with HIV during the COVID‑19 pandemic, Miami, Florida [PDF document].
Florida. (2020). Worldometer.
Selig, D. (2020). Palm Beach can start reopening Monday; Miami-Dade and Broward target May 18. Local10.com.