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Gov. DeSantis discussing next steps for South Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis is in discussions with South Florida officials about the next step for the three counties, which were left out of the first phase of statewide reopening.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the governor said officials were monitoring an easing last week that saw parks, marinas and golf courses reopen—“they want to see how that’s going.”

There has been some concern about how well the public followed social distancing rules. For example, too many people and too few masks led to the closing of South Pointe Park in Miami Beach after it was reopened.

“We want to be safe about it. We want to be smart and it is going to be a step by step process. It’s not just flipping a switch,” the governor said.

Desantis said the first phase is not terribly different from what South Florida residents have been doing anyways. “So, now you go to maybe a different retail or a reduced capacity [business]. Now instead of waiting in line at Publix, you can sit outside at a restaurant six feet away.”

The Palm Beach County commission on Tuesday voted to send DeSantis a letter telling him Palm Beach County was ready to join phase one, although previously counties had talked about acting simultaneously to avoid residents of one county flocking to another county with fewer restrictions.

DeSantis noted a positive trend in key health metrics, which was reported by SFBW on Tuesday.

Miami has fallen from about 20 percent of COVID-19 tests being positive to 7.91 percent, according to the latest state figures. Broward was at 5.71 percent. Palm Beach was at 6.6 percent. The target is 5.0 percent and the statewide figure is 5.77.

Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, is in phase one, but blocking non-residents from visiting. It has a 1.16 percent positive rate. Martin County, which is just north of Palm Beach County, is in phase one even though its positive test rate is 8.46 percent.

Some other urban areas in the state have fallen below 5.0 percent. Hillsborough County (Tampa) is at 4.12 percent and Orange County (Orlando) is at 1.79 percent. The higher figures in populous South Florida, which is the state epicenter for COVID-19, appear to be skewing the statewide average upwards.

 

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.