The Florida patrol attempting to enforce a mask mandate

A Key West team is expected to enforce a new mandate allowing people to go maskless outdoors if they are 6ft apart - an impossible task among partygoers

Key West code enforcement officer Paul Navarro was halfway through his shift and beginning to see signs of trouble. The crowds on lower Duval Street swelled just after 9pm, and social distancing quickly became impossible on the sidewalks.

Navarro is the last line of defense against the high-risk behaviors which spread Covid-19 and is one of the principal enforcers of the Florida city's mask mandate - an effort to protect public health and the local economy. Until 16 September part of that balancing act had included a strict mask mandate; now that rule has been loosened.

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We have the pressure of the business owners, [and] other pressure from people who want to do the right thing, which, at this point, I don't know what that is