Aerial images show beach resorts in sunny Florida are finally left deserted during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Florida Keys have closed down to visitors. Heavily relying on tourism, at the peak of high season, Florida’s most southern holiday islands have been forced to shut down hotels amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It comes after concerns mounted that beach goers were ignoring social distancing warnings for weeks and beaches were packed with fun-seeking sun worshipers during Spring Break.
Elsewhere in central Florida, a drive-thru testing site on a golf course for residents of The Villages retirement community have seen hundreds of elderly locals get tested.
An aerial view shows a deserted beach in Miami Beach, Florida
An aerial view shows deserted beach resorts in Windley Key, some 70 miles south of Miami
Empty lounge chairs are seen on the deserted beach of Florida Keys during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Upper Matecumbe Key
An aerial view shows a deserted beach resort in Windley Key, some 70 miles south of Miami
A local resident walks on a deserted beach of the Florida Keys during the coronavirus crisis in n Upper Matecumbe Key
Other images show empty lough chairs on a beach in Upper Matecumbe Key, some 70 miles south of Miami, and deserted stretches of sand in Miami Beach.
One shop owner, Scott Baste, 59, is seen sitting inside his deserted shop as he waits for customers in Key Largo, outside of Miami.
A usually-bustling beach resort at Windley Key is seen empty.
A sign displayed in response to COVID-19 at a deserted shopping centre in Key Largo reads: ‘We’ll remain closed until at least April 6th… This date could change at any time!’
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies are being stationed along check points put in place from Friday as the region closes to those who do not live or work there.
To get past the checkpoints, locals will need to provide identification to prove they live in the area.
A sign is displayed in response to COVID-19 at a deserted shopping centre in Key Largo
Scott Baste, 59, sits inside his deserted shop as he waits for customers in Key Largo
A deserted beach resort is seen in Windley Key, some 70 miles south of Miami
A local resident walks on a dock near a deserted beach of the Florida Keys during the coronavirus pandemic
An aerial view shows deserted country road 905 in Key Largo. The Florida Keys have closed down to visitors. Heavily relying on tourism, at the peak of high season, Florida’s most southern holiday islands have been forced to shut down hotels amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Elsewhere in Florida, a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at The Villages Polo Club opened earlier this week.
Health care workers were seen taking swabs from a local retirement community in golf carts.
Health workers have been staffing the testing site this week. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced the site would be operational and available by residents of The Villages on an appointment only basis.
A health care worker takes a swab from a woman in a golf cart as a COVID-19 mobile testing site at The Villages Polo Club opens on Monday
A health care worker takes a swab from a man in a golf cart at The Villages Polo Club
Residents arrive at a mobile testing site for coronavirus in their golf cart Monday, March 23, 2020, in The Villages. Three town squares in the community are closed due to the coronavirus through the end of the month in what is perhaps the largest concentration of seniors in the U.S
‘Anyone who is 65 and over who is displaying symptoms of Coronavirus,’ DeSantis said.
‘That’s things like a cough, a fever, shortness of breath. And, if that is you we want you to be able to come in here and get a test.’
Three town squares in the community are closed due to the coronavirus through the end of the month in what is perhaps the largest concentration of seniors in the U.S.
The state Department of Health reports there are now 2,484 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Florida, and 29 deaths linked to the illness.
The US surpassed Italy and China Thursday for the most confirmed cases of coronavirus, at 85,991.
Nationwide, there have been 1,296 coronavirus-related deaths.
A resident drives his golf cart down what usually is a busy street by the Spanish Springs town square in The Villages