Donald Trump's Florida lackey has given the states football teams permission to fill their stadiums despite a spreading coronavirus throughout the sunshine state, particularly in South Florida.
Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640AM South Florida is reporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has informed the Miami Dolphins moving forward they are allowed to have full capacity of 65,000 fans at their home games. The Miami Dolphins then announced for their next home game on October 25th they will stick with the 13,000 fan limit. No word on future home games beyond Oct 25th at this time.
The Dolphins also have had issues selling the 13,000 tickets they have set for their first two home games. Week 2 vs Buffalo only 11,000 or so fans were in attendance and about 1/3 were Bills fans. This past week only 12,369 fans were announced as in attendance. I am not sure there are a lot of fans who want to see live football in person at this time in South Florida so even if the Dolphins agreed to let 65,000 fans in, I think getting much more than the 13,000 or so to actually show up would be a struggle.
An event with 65,000 fans could be a serious super spreader event that would have ramifications in the South Florida region and COVID cases in the area. The Governor also is allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be at full capacity as well with their games moving forward. No word from either team how they will handle this.
The state of Florida was gobsmacked when the Governor announced he was moving the state into Phase 3. Florida has had over 15,000 deaths from COVID. People in Florida are as scared shitless as any other state of getting sick.
I think Ron and Don are going to get that message loud and clear on November third.
In a stunning decision last month, the Republican governor moved Florida into Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, dropping all restrictions on businesses and allowing stadiums to operate at full capacity. That means the NFL team can admit 65,000 fans into Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, regardless of recommendations on social distancing and large group gatherings established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Sports franchises can do as they please, they don’t need clearance from the state,” Cody McCloud, press secretary for the governor’s office, told The Daily Beast.
DeSantis—a Navy vet who has likened reopening schools to a SEAL mission—has embraced rolling back Florida’s already lax restrictions and has refused a statewide mask mandate, which even other southern GOP governors, like those in Mississippi and Alabama, eventually enacted as their virus situations spiraled.
This isn’t governance; this is genocide.