A group of 16 friends have tested positive for coronavirus after night out at Florida bar

A group of 16 friends all tested positive for coronavirus after visiting a reopened bar in Florida.

Three months after the global pandemic forced bars and restaurants to close in the state, some businesses have shut within one week of reopening as coronavirus cases spike in the state.

Healthworker Erika Crisp, 40, shared her story on Facebook after enjoying a night out following three months of lockdown.

She said she headed out to a Lynch's Irish Pub, Jacksonville bar with 15 friends and three days later she felt sick and was later diagnosed with coronavirus.

Erika documented her Covid-19 journey for her followers, saying she "should have known better".

Erika went into further detail speaking Action News Jax.

She explained how she had stuck closely to social distancing rules and stayed inside for months “doing everything the right way.”

She said:

And then the first night we go out, Murphy's Law, I guess. The only thing we have in common is that one night at that one bar.

I think we were careless and we went out into a public place when we should not have. And we were not wearing masks. I think we had a whole 'Out of sight, out of mind' mentality. The state opens back up and said everybody was fine, so we took advantage of that.

She noted: “We should be wearing masks. We should be social distancing. It was too soon to open everything back up.”

It was reported yesterday that a number of Florida bars and restaurants will be closing again after controversially opening just a week ago.

The state’s health department yesterday confirmed two consecutive days with more than 2,000 new cases, breaking records set when the pandemic began in March.