How safe is Florida’s reopening plan? Public health experts give a candid critique

Restaurants, state parks and stores will open in most of Florida on Monday for the first time in weeks. Businesses once deemed “nonessential” will welcome back workers. Hospitals will perform surgeries put on hold since March.

It’s the first step in restarting an economy intentionally halted to slow the spread of the coronavirus. It is also a real-life experiment: Never in the lifetimes of Floridians have leaders attempted to reopen in the middle of a pandemic of this scale.

South Florida has to wait a while longer because the COVID-19 hot spots of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are not included in the changes that go into effect Monday.

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