Florida resident drives past packed restaurant full of diners without masks or social distancing

Shocked Florida resident drives past packed restaurant full of diners without masks or social distancing as COVID-19 restrictions are eased

  • The footage shows dozens of people appearing to ignore social distancing guidelines along Delray Beach, in Palm Beach county, on May 12 
  • Governor Ron Desantis had signed an order easing restrictions effective May 11 
  • ‘No masks insight and bars open? This needs to be addressed and resolved. This is what Delray Beach thinks ‘social distancing’ is’, the passing driver said
  • Restaurants and retails shops can operate indoors at only 25 per cent capacity
  • Outdoor dining requires diners ‘maintaining a minimum of six feet between parties’; groups must be 10 or fewer people and bar counters are closed 
  • As of Thursday the state has recorded more than 43,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19; the death toll stands at 1,875 deaths
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

This is the moment a shocked Florida resident drives past a packed restaurant full of diners without masks or social distancing the day after COVID-19 restrictions were eased in the state.  

Footage shows dozens of people appearing to ignore social distancing guidelines along Delray Beach, in Palm Beach county, on May 12. Governor Ron Desantis had signed an executive order easing restrictions effective May 11.

‘No masks insight and bars open? This needs to be addressed and resolved. This is what Delray Beach thinks ‘social distancing’ is’, the woman who shot the clip said. 

The restaurant in the footage is understood to be high end steak house Salt 7. DailyMail.com has contacted the restaurant for comment. 

The footage shows dozens of people appearing to ignore social distancing guidelines along Delray Beach, in Palm Beach county, on May 12

Florida governor Ron Desantis signed an executive order effective May 11 that allowed restaurants to open for in house dining as long as social distancing measures were adhered to. 

Restaurants and retails shops can operate indoors at only 25 per cent capacity. 

Outdoor dining requires diners ‘maintaining a minimum of six feet between parties’. Groups must be 10 or fewer people. Bar counters are closed to seating.

As of Thursday the Sunshine State has more than 43,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,875 deaths from the disease since the first cases were reported in early March.  

DeSantis also gave the green light to reopen hair salons, barbershops and nail salons Monday under new safety guidelines for most of Florida. The order does not yet include hard hit Miami-Dade and Broward counties. 

Another 221,000 Floridians filed for unemployment benefits last week, even as restaurants and retail shops started re-opening with limitations, according to figures released Thursday.  

Florida’s two largest and hardest-hit counties appeared to be headed Tuesday toward the partial reopening of their economies next week, finalizing plans that would impose severe restrictions mirroring the rest of the state.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties are finishing preparations that would allow retailers, restaurants and personal care businesses such as barber shops and salons to reopen on Monday, Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry said Tuesday. 

The counties account for almost half of the state’s confirmed virus cases.

While details aren’t complete, Henry said Miami-Dade and Broward’s current plans call for restaurants and retail stores reopening under the state’s rules that limit them to to 25 per cent capacity indoors. 

Governor Ron Desantis had signed an order easing restrictions effective May 11

'No masks insight and bars open? This needs to be addressed and resolved. This is what Delray Beach thinks 'social distancing' is', the passing driver said

Governor Ron Desantis had signed an order easing restrictions effective May 11. ‘No masks insight and bars open? This needs to be addressed and resolved. This is what Delray Beach thinks ‘social distancing’ is’, the passing driver said

Restaurants and retails shops can operate indoors at only 25 per cent capacity

Restaurants and retails shops can operate indoors at only 25 per cent capacity

Restaurants with outdoor seating would have to keep tables six feet apart. The rest of the state began reopening last week. Cities could enact tighter restrictions.  

Broward Commissioner Mark Bogen said Monday’s planned reopening needs to be accompanied by a massive county outreach campaign to remind residents that the coronavirus is still spreading and they need to wear masks and practice social distancing.

‘Don’t let your guard down just because we are opening up,’ Bogen said. ‘People might think that because things are opening up, things are better and they don’t have to wear masks.’

Commissioner Nan Rich worried that the county is reopening too soon, saying not enough testing is being done and she fears many people won’t follow the mask and social distancing mandates.

‘Reopening too early risks needless suffering and death,’ she said.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk