Your Words

Last week, we reported on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ first phase of partially reopening Florida’s economy, starting Monday, May 4, which includes continuing social distancing practices and limiting the number of guests allowed inside restaurants. Readers sounded off.

@Tek Vu

Thank God. I was counting down the days to go eat inside a Chili’s.

@Mindy Hunter

And this Florida girl will be staying inside until the first idiots go out and report back on their findings.

@Fernando Maldonado

Yeah, I’m going to keep social distancing until I hear what actual scientists have to say.

@Maggie Finley

So all the school kids are just … home alone all day while parents have to go back to work?

@Rick Jones

It’s all a ploy to kick people off unemployment.

@Rachel Whitmire

It’s “even if you don’t feel safe, you better get your ass back to work or we are going to deny your unemployment claim.”

@Jim Carlton

It’s a start and I fully welcome it. We can not stay as we are, we must begin to reopen things.

@Donna Gould

How do servers social distance from guests?

@Erik Grincewicz

I have actually been a server. I think having cooks working together right now is irresponsible. The stupid economy doesn’t have to open if you give everyone rent and mortgage freezes. Also servers don’t have to starve if you give them unemployment. This state is dead set on horrible austerity for the poor and working class.

@John Booker

It’s simply, those of you that want to go out shopping and out to eat, go! And those of you that don’t trust it’s time to do those things yet, stay at home! Why concern yourselves with someone else’s choices?

@Paola Mayte

Because those who GO will be using the same essential services that those who don’t need to survive, such as gas stations, grocery stores, etc. Quite honestly it’s not even the reopening, it’s that ones that GO are also less likely to adhere to basics like wearing masks, staying 6 feet away, and quite frankly washing their damn hands … if we had zombies they would be the ones also hiding the bites.

@Jodi Huck

You know the numbers were “lower” because we stayed in, right? Airports were empty, malls were closed, bars and restaurants, theme parks … that stopped the spread. The people that DID gather, did end up with a higher number of positives. Science is hard, I get it.

@Cris Field

I’m staying in. I don’t trust DeSantis or his idol, Trump.