Florida Sen. Rick Scott had a strong message Thursday for those packing the beaches in the state amid the coronavirus outbreak: “Get off the beach.”
“Unless you can figure out how to completely be isolated from anybody else, I mean, this is – individuals have to take responsibility and every, every level of government has to be very clear, don’t be on the beach unless you can be somehow completely by yourself,” the former governor told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day.”
His comments echo those of health officials and Trump administration officials who continue to urge Americans to practice social distancing to limit the spread of the virus. The White House has issued guidance urging Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, urged young people to adhere to the guidelines.
“I hope they just listen to what we’ve been saying over the last period of time. We don’t want them gathering, and I see that they do gather including on beaches, and including in restaurants, young people,” Trump said.
“They don’t realize that – they’re feeling invincible, I don’t know if you felt invincible when you were young. But they don’t realize that they could be carrying lots of bad things home to their grandmother and grandfather and even their parents,” he said. “So, we want them to heed the advice … and I do believe it’s getting through.”
Scott himself has been in self-quarantine for over a week after meeting with a Brazilian government aide who tested positive for the virus.