COVID-19 and the U.S. – People visiting public beaches during the pandemic

The majority of Americans have been people trying to adjust to social-distancing limitations. There exists a tension between people in the U.S who wants to move out of their homes and people who wish to flatten the pandemic curve. And in such a situation, the beaches become a point of focus. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California intervened to close Orange County beaches. This drastic step was a result of a flurry of pictures of people arriving at the beaches during weekends. There were both the sunbathers and the swimmers, and none adhered to the practice of maintaining a safe distance.

A partial trouble

Reports suggest that Orange County has opened its beaches. Also, the other beaches in San Diego and Los Angeles were off-limits. Hence, people arrived from all these three countries. Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida resisted the burden directly from White House to keep the state beaches closed, emphasizing the decisions that needed to made locally. People and authority bodies criticized the state severely of not being able to manage the people who’ve been appearing with their friend groups in the beaches when the COVID-19 was its peak. Gov. Greg Abbott said that beaches would reopen in the Galveston, Texas region, which sanctioned the outdoor activities. However, it can happen only when people take the necessary security measures.

Mayor Dan Gelber, Miami Beach, mentioned that putting down such rules is undoubtedly challenging. The city beaches remain closed, as opening the beaches would increase the danger of people getting infected even more. The beaches in Volusia County, Fla were kept open only for a specific exercise. However, soon the security patrols issued over 1,200 violation warnings. A spokeswoman, Capt. Tamra Malphurs mentioned that they did their best to drive the people away. But still, people came back, as soon as the guards go down, with chairs and tents to hang out on the beaches. Most people in the U.S are developing quarantine fatigue sitting at home and think that visiting the beach can refresh them.

Beaches form an integral part of the coastal state economies. It presents an affordable way for the average and low-income families to get refreshed during the summertime. However, visiting a beach can be dangerous as well. It defies the rule of social distancing. People gather in groups in the U.S beaches and refuse to wear their masks. The pandemic gets doubled this way.

Latin America and its emerging crisis

Gradually, the pandemic is increasing its impact in Europe. There’s still some time for it to reach its peak in Latin America. Initially, the leaders took the pandemic threat negligently, because it took time for the virus to gain its hold here. The region that got severely hit is Brazil, with over 80,000 infected cases and 5,500 deaths. The numbers are changing in effect to the current condition. What could have led to this? It could be President Jair Bolsonaro’s negligence to introduce proper safety protocols. He thought of the COVID-19 as a “measly cold” flu and didn’t impose strict stay-at-home orders and shutdowns. Also, Nicaragua, Central America’s poorest country, asked its people to carry on with their daily living habits.

Last but not least, Trump administration, along with the prominent U.S. organizations, have compelled Mexico to enable the American-owned factories to remain open. The rule overlooked all fear about the workers contracting the virus.