The sun, the heat, the breeze: nothing seems to be able to stop the spirit of a vacation on the Hollywood promenade in Florida. Physical distancing and wearing a mask are far from everyone’s business.
Despite reaching a record number of infections, in many young people present, the threat of COVID-19 is not taken seriously. If we catch it, we’ll get over it. I don’t hang out with old people
says Kendall, a young woman of 21 years old.
Her boyfriend, Firas, adds: everyone will catch it, it’s everywhere. I don’t care
. A little further, Tiffany tells me that ten members of his family caught him in the New York area and are doing very well now
. We can die of many things. When my time comes
, she will come, she adds.
In the southern and western states of the country, people in their twenties, thirties and forties represent an increasing share of positive cases of COVID-19.
- Florida: The median age of COVID-19 cases increased from 65 in March to 35 in June.
- Arizona: people aged 20 to 44 represent half of the reported cases.
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This trend is worrying for experts, because asymptomatic young people may unknowingly infect vulnerable people.
According to our best estimates, for each recorded case, there are ten other infections.
It is very important to keep trying to find effective ways to get public health messages out to young people
said Robert Redfield of the United States Institute of Infectious Diseases this week.
The social media track
Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy knows that without the cooperation of young people, it will be difficult to win the battle. He wants to avoid having to close the beaches and restaurants.
Mayor Josh Levy points the finger at the state governor and the White House for their lack of firmness in the face of wearing the mask.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Louis Blouin
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His team has chosen to turn to platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to share public health guidelines. We join them on social media, where they are
, explique Josh Levy.
The mayor also sent a text message to all the citizens of the city via his system Red alert
. As of now, face covers are mandatory for anyone moving outside their property line
, could be read in a message sent recently on mobile devices.
Mr. Levy knows full well that the task will be difficult. He fights against the arrival of the holidays and the temptation to socialize.
With more than 9,500 cases in a day, Florida could become the next COVID-19 epicenter in the United States.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Louis Blouin
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Florida announced yesterday that it is closing bars again to reduce the risk of spread.
Another obstacle stands in the way of Josh Levy. He deplores the fact that his state governor and the White House are no firmer about the need to wear a mask. Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis refuses to make it mandatory in public across the state.
According to him, these conflicting messages
different levels of government interfere with the work of local authorities.
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