The Florida Keys will reopen to visitors on June 1, allowing hotels and vacation rentals to operate at 50 percent capacity.
Monroe County plans to suspend checkpoints on U.S. 1 and State Road 905 to allow visitors to return to the Keys, which had shut down to non-residents March 22. Monroe has reported about 100 cases of Covid-19.
Lodging establishments, which include hotels, campgrounds and vacation rentals, will be required to follow sanitation procedures and Covid-19 guidelines from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, according to a press release from the county.
Hotels, such as Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, are accepting reservations on their websites as of June 1.
The tourism-dependent Florida Keys had been recovering from damages incurred from Hurricane Irma in 2017 when coronavirus forced mass closures throughout the southernmost county of Florida.
The 50 percent capacity limit will be lifted at a later date. The announcement to reopen hotels could be changed or reversed if there is a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.
Miami-Dade County has not yet announced a date to reopen hotels, though it is expected to begin in June. Miami-Dade and Broward joined the rest of the state in entering phase one of reopening non-essential businesses on Monday, with capacity limits at 50 percent for restaurants and some retail.