Skip to main content
Clear icon
60º

Wynwood businesses impacted by Zika scares

Some business owners call Zika a 'disaster'

WYNWOOD, Fla. – It was business as usual at LAB Miami in Wynwood  on Monday night.

"We do have a couple of members who are pregnant so they have stayed away from the area but otherwise, it's normal,"  Wifredo Fernandez, the locations co-founder, said.

The LAB Miami is a collaborative workspace and they haven't felt the sting quite like retail spaces and restaurants.

"It's being put out there like 'The Zika virus oh my God,'" a business owner said at a meeting Monday morning about marketing in the middle of the Zika scare.

The bad weather was not helping matters over the weekend either.

"I would say we've lost about 10 percent of our revenue, we've taken a major hit," a business owner said. "Economically this is a disaster for us."

Health Department officials were on hand to give updates on testing and results. The news Monday, one new non-travel related case, but this time in Palm Beach County.

"If you will wear protective clothing, but repellent, you're a big step ahead,"  Gov. Rick Scott said.

Scott held a round table in St. Augustine to discuss efforts to combat the virus.

On Saturday, round 3 of aerial spraying targeted mosquito larvae.

Mosquito control says, the chemical, called BTI is harmless and effective. Health officials say no local mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika. Still, residents and potential patrons are on edge while those invested in the area say it's overblown.

"I think it's a bit alarmist, I think it's also a political football right now with the funding of Zika," Fernandez said. 

 


Loading...

Recommended Videos