OPEN FOR THEIR RESIDENTS THIS
JULY 4th.
>> Reporter: THAT’S RIGHT.
IT IS NOT JUST JACKSONVILLE
BEACH THAT IS OPEN, IT IS ALL OF
THE BEACHES THAT LINE THE COAST
HERE IN DUVALL COUNTY.
SO I HAVE THREE MAYORS HERE FROM
THESE BEACH CITIES.
THANK YOU TO ALL THREE OF YOU
FOR BEING WITH ME TODAY.
I KNOW YOU’VE GOT A BUSY WEEKEND
AHEAD OF YOU, YOU’RE GEARING UP
FOR THIS HOLIDAY.
SO LET’S START WITH WHY WE HAVE
ALL THREE OF YOU HERE TODAY.
HOW DID THIS TEAM COME TOGETHER?
>> WELL, WE HAVE A PHILOSOPHY
THAT WE’RE THREE CITIES, BUT ONE
COMMUNITY.
AND HERE ON THE BEACH ITSELF
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF INVISIBLE
BORDERS, ONE BETWEEN
JACKSONVILLE BEACH AND NEPTUNE
BEACH, THE OTHER BETWEEN NEPTUNE
BEACH AND ATLANTIC BEACH.
SO WE TRY TO COMMUNICATE OPENLY
AND WORK TOGETHER WHEN WE MAKE
DECISIONS SO THAT ALL THE
BEACHES WILL BE BASICALLY REZ
RESIDENTS AND VISITORS CAN
TRANSFER FROM BEACH TO BEACH.
>> Reporter: IF I WALK A FEW
YARDS, I MAY LEAVE ONE BEACH AND
FIND MY WAY TO NEPTUNE BEACH OR
ATLANTIC BEACH.
EXPLAIN THAT GEOGRAPHY TO ME.
>> REALLY INTERESTING THING AND
IT IS IS THAT IF MAYOR LATHAM
WERE TO CLOSE HIS BEACH,
EVERYBODY WOULD GO TO MY BEACH.
AND VICE VERSA, YOU KNOW.
IT WOULD BE THAT CROSSOVER.
WORKING TOGETHER, FOR THE PUBLIC
SAFETY, AND LISTENING TO THE
DATA, WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT
WORKING TOGETHER IS GOING TO BE
THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY.
>> AND ALTOGETHER YOU HAVE
DECIDED TO KEEP YOUR BEACHES
OPEN.
WE HAVE SEEN SOME GRIM,
BREAKING 10,000 CASES.
WHY KEEP THE BEACHES OPEN AS
THESE CASE NUMBERS ARE RISING
INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING PEOPLE
TO CELEBRATE AT HOME WITH THEIR
FAMILIES?
>> SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY
THAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH MANY
CHALLENGES, WITH OUR BEACHES,
BEFORE, WE CLOSED THEM BEFORE
FOR SIX WEEKS AND DID NOT REALLY
GET ANY DATA TO SUGGEST THAT
THIS WAS A VECTOR FOR
TRANSMISSION.
OBVIOUSLY THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
WE’RE SEEING A SPIKE.
BUT HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS
IN OUR AREA HAVE REMAINED
RELATIVELY FLAT.
SO WE’RE JUST TRYING TO TELL
PEOPLE STAY SAFE, YOU KNOW WHAT
TO DO, AND WE’RE ASKING FOR
PEOPLE’S COOPERATION.
AND WE’LL BE READY TO RESPOND IF
WE CAN’T HANDLE IT WITH OUR
RESOURCES.
>> AS CASE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP,
HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS AND
NUMBERS OF DEATHS COULD CHANGE.
WHY NOT FOLLOW THE LEAD OF WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN SOUTH FLORIDA,
WHERE MOST OF THE BEACHES THERE
ARE CLOSED?
>> WE CAN ALWAYS DO THAT.
THE POINT IS CLOSING A BEACH
DOESN’T TAKE A LONG TIME.
WE CAN PROBABLY DO IT IN 30
MINUTES.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WE’RE
GIVING OUR RESIDENTS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN
HEALTH AND SAFETY AND THE SAFETY
OF THEIR FAMILY, BE
CONSCIENTIOUS OF THE PHYSICAL
SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS ON THE
BEACH.
WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT
WILL TRAIN THEM, INFORM THEM
BEFORE THEY TAKE ANY ACTION.
IF THEY GET OUT OF HAND, WE CAN
SHUT IT DOWN QUICKLY.
THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS
WE HAVE GOT HUNDREDS OF
FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES THAT
HAVE BEEN DECIMATED BY THIS
HORRIBLE PANDEMIC.
THIS GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ENJOY ONE OF THE MORE
BENEFICIAL DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR
SALES.
SO OUR BUSINESSES ARE IMPORTANT
TOO.
>> AND MAYOR LATHAM, I BELIEVE
YOU SAID SOCIAL DISTANCING
REALISTICALLY IS PRETTY
DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE.
HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO ENFORCE
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND IS THAT
PRACTICAL FOR A CITY LIKE THIS?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT PRIMARILY
THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE STAY
OPEN IS GOING TO BE CORRELATED
DIRECTLY WITH THE RESPONSE FROM
THE CITIZENS AND VISITORS.
AS LONG AS PEOPLE THEY KNOW WE
NEED TO KEEP THIS SOCIAL
DISTANCING AND AS LONG AS THEY
DO IT, WE’RE GOING TO BE OKAY.
IF NOT, WE’LL DEAL WITH PROBLEMS
AS THEY DEVELOP, IF WE HAVE TO
WE CAN SHUT THINGS DOWN.
>> AND WE’RE ALL WEARING MASKS
RIGHT NOW.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE MASK
MANDATE THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE
THIS WEEK, HOW MUCH IS THAT
GOING TO HELP PROTECT PEOPLE
HERE, I’M SORRY, YOU HAD
SOMETHING TO SAY?
>> I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND THAT,
YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS GETS
PERSONAL TO PEOPLE, THEY’RE
GOING TO TAKE IT MORE SERIOUSLY
AND HAVING A MASK MANDATE,
HAVING OUR NUMBERS SPIKE, WE
EXPECT OUR RESIDENTS TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO
AND TO ACCEPT THAT PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
WE DO HAVE MECHANISMS TO ENFORCE
THE MANDATES, AND WE HAVE DONE
OTHER MEASURED THINGS LIKE BARS
ARE CLOSED, HOURS ARE RESTRICTED
FOR SERVING ALCOHOL, SO WE’RE
TRYING TO DO THIS IN A MEASURED
WAY, BECAUSE IT IS A TENSE TIME
IN OUR COUNTRY, AND WE NEED
PEOPLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND
COOPERATE.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE
ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS YOU
MENTIONED, FOR MASKS AND FOR
SOCIAL DISTANCING? >> WELL, IT HASN’T REALLY BEEN
>> WELL, IT HASN’T REALLY BEEN
DISCUSSED TOO MUCH BY MAYOR
KEARNEY’S OFFICE, BUT A
VIOLATION OF ORDER CAN BE
ENFORCED THROUGH A FLORIDA
STATUTE, AND THEN IF SOMEBODY
GETS OUT OF HAND, AND THEY
TRESPASS, IF A BUSINESS ASKS
SOMEBODY TO LEAVE AND THEY
DON’T, WE CAN USE OTHER
VIOLATIONS TO ENFORCE THAT.
>> YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF
TOURISTS, A LOT OF VISITORS TO
YOUR AREA.
YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR RESIDENTS TO
THINK ABOUT.
AND THE EMPLOYEES OF SOME OF THE
BUSINESSES THAT TOURISTS WILL BE
VISITING THIS WEEKEND.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ASSURE
YOUR RESIDENTS THAT YOU’RE GOING
TO DO THE BEST YOU CAN TO KEEP
THEM SAFE THIS WEEKEND?
>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO
SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER.
WE’RE NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO COME
TO THE BEACH.
IF I HAD MY LITTLE WISH LIST OR
MY MAGIC WAND, I WOULD SAY STAY
HOME.
BUT IF YOU ARE COMING TO THE
BEACH, WITH YOUR FAMILY, WE
EXPECT YOU TO ACT THE WAY THESE
PEOPLE ARE HERE AND NOW AND OUR
POLICE AND OUR LIFEGUARDS ARE
GIVING US MINUTE TO MINUTE
INFORMATION AS WE NEED IT IF
SOMETHING WERE TO GET OUT OF
HAND.
AND AS EVERY ONE OF US HAS HEARD
FROM DOCTORS, BEING OUT IN THE
OPEN AIR, BEING OUT IN THE
SUNSHINE, DOING YOUR WALK, YOUR
JOGS, SITTING HERE READING A
BOOK FOR A WHILE, THESE ARE
BEGINNING
GOOD THINGS.
BUT STAY HOME IF YOU FEEL
THREATENED.
STAY HOME IF YOU FEEL AS THOUGH
YOU’RE GOING TO BE IN A CROWD OF
PEOPLE, THAT YOU CAN’T MANAGE.
I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW IT IS UP
TO INDIVIDUALS IF THEY FEEL
UNSAFE, STAY HOME.
THAT’S THE BEST THING YOU CAN
DO.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT,
THAT THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE
BECAUSE THE DEMOGRAPHIC HAS
SHIFTED, IT IS NOW THE VIRUS IS
HAS GONE AFTER PEOPLE WHO ARE
YOUNGER, AND WHO ARE MORE LIKELY
TO RECOVER.
SO WE ALL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
PEOPLE LIKE THAT EXPOSING OUR
VULNERABLE POPULATION AND SO I
WILL ECHO WHAT MAYOR BROWN SAID,
PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO ARE
VULNERABLE, WHO HAVE UNDERLYING
MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
WE DON’T WANT YOU TO COME TO THE
BEACH.
YOU NEED TO STAY HOME, WORK IN
YOUR GARDEN, CLEAN OUT YOUR
CLOSET, AND COME BACK ANOTHER
DAY.
>> PICK UP SOME OF THE OTHER
HOBBIES FOR THE WEEKEND.
MAYOR LATHAM, I’LL GIVE YOU THE
LAST WORD HERE BECAUSE WE ARE
STANDING ON YOUR BEACH RIGHT
NOW.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE
PEOPLE HERE TODAY AND TO THE
RESIDENTS OF YOUR CITY?
>> WE’RE GOING TO JUST ONCE
AGAIN PLEAD TO THE VISITORS OF
THE BEACH, TO ACT RESPONSIBLY,
MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING, IF
YOU COME DOWN TO THE BEACH AND
FIND OUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT TOO
CROWDED, TURN AROUND AND GO
HOME.
DON’T TRY AND PUSH THE ISSUE.
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER FOURTH OF
JULY WITH FIREWORKS NEXT YEAR,