Coronavirus in Florida: All 175 state parks now closed to reduce spread of COVID-19

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is shutting the state’s 175 parks — including Sebastian Inlet State Park — 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 March 23.

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.

More: Coronavirus in Florida updates: Number of cases hits 1,007 as COVID-19 spreads across the state

“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.”

J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jdgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop. To subscribe: https://cm.floridatoday.com/specialoffer/