Florida Keys

The Florida Health Department in the Keys reported 74 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, which is the highest ever reported in the island chain. But the number is not quite as bad as it appears, according to Monroe County’s top health official.

Fantasy Fest, Key West’s annual 10-day celebration of the scantily clad and the silly since 1979, won’t happen this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The theme for 2020 was going to be “Roaring 2020’s and Future Fictions.”

Organizers confirmed the cancellation Thursday on Facebook, ending speculation that the city would possibly host the huge event that pours cash into workers’ hands and company wallets at a time when South Florida is suffering through the COVID-19 crisis.

America’s birthday celebration in the Florida Keys this year won’t include any public displays of fireworks.

The last remaining fireworks show set to go off in Monroe County on the Fourth of July was canceled Wednesday by Marathon city leaders in an emergency meeting called to discuss the issue.

Spiking coronavirus numbers in the Florida Keys are causing consternation among public officials, and questions about whether the county will once again close to visitors.

Three weeks ago, the Florida Keys had an empty feeling. Shops were shut. Restaurants had a few locals. And two checkpoints blocked tourists from entering the island chain. The COVID-19 rate also was low. With visitors shut out, Keys leaders hoped the virus would be, too.

Fast-forward to now, and many tourists are back. They’re spreading out on the beaches, filling the restaurants — at least to the new limited capacity — and strolling Duval Street.

As the Keys ramp up its tourism economy, hotels are being encouraged to let guests know about COVID-19 tests with results in an hour at the local hospital, and local governments are modifying requirements for masks and temperature checks.

As a tourist destination, the Keys rely on events to bring people to the island chain. But large gatherings are discouraged during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Key West City Commission this week gave the go-ahead to an event that usually draws large crowds to the island's Atlantic shore: Fourth of July fireworks.

Tourism is the lifeblood of the Florida Keys. It pumps up jobs and tax dollars. Supports fishing, hotels, restaurants.

So with more than five million people who visit Monroe County in a normal year, the island chain typically has the lowest unemployment rate in the state. But with tourists banned from entering the Keys since late March because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Monroe County’s unemployment rate shot up to the second highest in Florida, a whopping 17.5 percent.