The 'Grim Reaper' appears as Florida opens beaches for public after Covid-19 lockdown

People witnessed the "Grim Reaper" who was waiting for people who visited beaches at Walton County in Florida after lockdown restrictions were loosened by the governor. The Grim Reaper had a strong message to relay to people in the times of the coronavirus pandemic.

The man dressed as the Grim Reaper was Daniel Uhlfelder, a lawyer who is protesting against the opening of beaches for public use, when COVID-19 cases are still on the rise. Uhlfelder is from Northwest Florida and was seen at the entrance of Miramar Beach in Walton County, wearing a tattered black robe and carrying a scythe.

The north Florida beaches have been opened ahead of the phase 1 reopening. The beaches were opened on Friday and saw people flocking despite the coronavirus scare. The beaches were closed for a month due to lockdown. Following high attendance of people at the public place, Uhlfelder made an entry as the Grim Reaper.

He carried a message to people and told ABC 13: "The Grim Reaper represents death. This is a deadly virus. It's a global pandemic."

Uhlfelder expressed his willingness to spread the message across Florida. He wrote on his Twiitter handle: "Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here ..."

Uhlfelder had filed a case against Florida governor Ron DeSantis on March 20. He questioned the governor's refusal to issue a statewide order shutting down beaches. He argued that reopening of beaches will put Floridians at risk of being infected with COVID-19.

However, his appeal was dismissed by Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll in April stating the governor had the discretion to take decisions during emergencies according to constitution.

Some people have been opposing Uhlfelder and his campaign as the lawyer had also founded the Make My Day PAC to support candidates opposing conservative political leaders.

In his Twitter handle, giving the reason behind his decision to turn the Grim Reaper, Uhlfelder stated that on May 2, the Florida Department of Health confirmed 1,038 additional cases of COVID-19, the highest number of new cases reported in the past two weeks. "This is why I tour as the Grim Reaper," he said.