Thousands of Boaters Party on Florida Lake Despite Coronavirus Concerns

Thousands of boaters hit the water in Boca Raton, Florida, over the weekend despite officials’ warnings regarding the spread of the Chinese coronavirus.

Sunday morning, the City of Boca Raton tweeted photos of the seemingly unconcerned partiers on Lake Boca Raton:

While Lake Boca Raton has always served as a social gathering spot for many boaters, and will again, now is not the time for parties and tie ups on the water. Please be patient, and do your part, so we can all get through this together.
1/4 pic.twitter.com/ubvgDn4UTl

— City of Boca Raton (@CityBocaRaton) March 22, 2020

In a subsequent tweet, the city named the reasons why residents should consider others when deciding whether to congregate during the health crisis:

• Slowing the spread of COVID-19 is an URGENT issue.
• Slowing requires diligence and sacrifice from everyone.
• It affects not only the elderly & vulnerable, but young healthy adults, teenagers & children.
• It can be transmitted by those who don't have symptoms.
2/4

— City of Boca Raton (@CityBocaRaton) March 22, 2020

On Facebook Sunday, the city urged residents to be patient and do their part to curb the spread of the virus.

The post continued:

While many take this seriously, some do not, and are putting others in jeopardy, including our first responders and healthcare workers. The State has jurisdiction over Intracoastal Waterways, not the City. We do, however, have jurisdiction of the Silver Palm Boat ramp, which will remain closed until further notice.

We understand this is an inconvenience and point of frustration to permit holders, most of whom we believe would be responsible, but until we see a leveling off in the spread of this disease, we will continue to discourage, by any and all means, social gatherings and encourage people to stay home.

In a press release Sunday, Palm Beach County announced it was closing all boat ramps and marinas to recreational boating activities including boat launching, storage activities, and boat rentals.

However, the county said licensed commercial fishermen who provide food for restaurants and markets, commercial marine operations, and support services were allowed to operate.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer shared the photo of the boats clustered together and expressed his deep concern over the scene.

He continued:

Let me put it bluntly. This is not the right time to invite a bunch of friends on your boat for a big party. You wouldn’t go out boating if there were a bad rainstorm. Right now, there’s a deadly virus that’s circling the globe and can seriously affect (or even kill) you, your family, and anyone you might contact for weeks. Don’t have a big boat party with people from other homes now. Just wait until this all calms down.

“There will be plenty of nice days to boat with a group of friends after this. In the meantime, be responsible. Our healthcare system and lives, including yours, may depend on it!” he concluded.