The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is shutting the state’s 175 parks to reduce the potential spreading of the coronavirus.
The move, announced late Sunday, came at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis to uphold recent social distancing guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control.
All state parks will be closed indefinitely beginning Monday.
Previously, the agency attempted to limit hours to reduce the number of visitors, however, people — taking advantage of being away from work and the warm weather — continued to flock to the parks for fishing and other recreation.
“We appreciate the public’s cooperation and understanding as we work to prioritize the welfare of our communities and staff,” the agency said in a media release. “We look forward to welcoming you again to our award-winning state parks as soon as possible.”
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