Jacksonville mayor claims 'people are following the restrictions' after reopening beaches, parks

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Jacksonville mayor: People are following restrictions since reopening beaches

Jacksonville, Florida Mayor Lenny Curry on decision to reopen the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Jacksonville, Fla. Mayor Lenny Curry joined "Bill Hemmer Reports" Friday to discuss his decision to reopen the city's beaches for recreational uses.

"After the initial opening, the crowds have really thinned out. People are following the restrictions, 6 to 11 in the morning, 5 to 8 at night," Curry said. "No sunbathing, no chairs, no coolers. Keep moving, keep walking and keep your distance."

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Curry added that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is considering using Jacksonville's opening as a model as a model for the rest of the Sunshine State.

"I'm on the governor, Governor DeSantis, his task force to reopen the state," Curry said. "And that task force is discussing potentially using ... Jacksonville's restrictions for its beaches for a model around the state."

A week ago Curry and three other mayors in Duval County reopened beaches and parks for essential uses, including recreational activities at an appropriate social distance, including walking, fishing, biking, swimming and dog walking.

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"Police were out there. Fire and rescue were out there. All the feedback that I got was people were saying, 'We're at war. We're practicing social distancing.' They weren't getting into large groups," Curry said. "So, look, we just had to weather the criticism. And I expect that we'll continue as cities and counties and states reopen in their own way based on the data they have and the judgment they make."

"There will be critics," Curry added. "If you're not willing to accept that, you're not going to make progress."