Florida counties impose curfews as coronavirus cases spike
Officials in Miami on Friday announced an 8 p.m. curfew along South Beach, as Florida topped 10,000 new daily cases for the tenth time. Authorities hope the curfew will cut down on partying, one of the behaviors suspected of fueling the coronavirus' rapid spread.
A curfew was also announced in Broward County.
"We're not taking a full lockdown off the table," said infectious disease specialist Dr. Aileen Marty, who warned Miami-Dade County is nearing a tipping point.
Intensive care units in eight of the county's 25 hospitals are full, she said.
But she expressed cautious hope that numbers could be leveling off. "We're hoping against hope that people are getting the message, that they're changing their behavior," she said. "If we don't see that by Monday, Tuesday, then yeah, it's possible that we may have to enact further measures."
The county has announced a new $100 fine for violating its mask mandate. Facial coverings remain among one of the simplest ways to stop the spread — but also one of the most controversial.
On Friday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp defended his lawsuit against the city of Atlanta's mask mandate.
"I agree people need to wear a mask," he said. "I don't think it takes a mandate for people to do the right thing."
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reacted to Kemp's lawsuit on "CBS This Morning."
"It's very clear that the governor is putting politics over people," Bottoms said. "And we will have to fight the governor about this in court."
There's also debate about when to reopen schools. In Utah, a meeting over reopening schools had to be called off, after people packed the room and most ignored safety guidelines.
"We are supposed to be physically distancing, wearing masks," one official said at the meeting, drawing boos from the crowd.
In California, public schools will be required to meet strict guidelines set Friday by Governor Gavin Newsom before they can reopen with students on campus.
In Texas, where COVID-19 cases also continue to climb, COVID-19 survivor Enrique Carillo said he learned his lesson.
"I was just going out, just living life like it wasn't even out there, and I ended up getting it, and now I'm more responsible," he said.
