Florida attorney files lawsuit calling on governor to close beaches due to coronavirus concerns

by Marty Johnson - 03/21/20 1:16 PM ET

A Florida attorney is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to close access to all of the beaches in Florida in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The complaint, which was filed by Daniel Uhlfelder late Friday night, wants DeSantis to be forced to close all of the state’s beaches. DeSantis on Friday closed the beaches in Broward and Palm Beach County and advised Sunshine State residents to practice the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines on social distancing if going to the state’s other beaches. Earlier in the week, he also announced that the state’s bars and nightclubs would be closed for the next 30 days.

DeSantis also had stern words for the trove of college students who made their way to Florida’s beaches in recent weeks to party for spring break, despite recommendations from the Trump administration and the CDC to social distance.

“The message I think for spring breakers is that the party is over in Florida,” DeSantis said on “Fox and Friends” Thursday. “You’re not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the state.

“Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it’s Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Clearwater Beach, are closed entirely for the time being,” he added.

According to the filing, Uhlfelder has urged DeSantis multiple times to close the remainder of the state’s beaches, but DeSantis has yet to do so.

“The Governor has the responsibility to initiate immediate action to cope with the emerging health problems and try to prevent the spread of infectious diseases,” the suit reads.

Over 285,000 people worldwide have been infected by COVID-19 and almost 12,000 have died, according to John Hopkins University. In the U.S., there are over 19,600 confirmed cases and at least 260 deaths as of Saturday afternoon.

Tags Coronavirus Florida Ron DeSantis Ron DeSantis