Massive crowds of spring breakers have placed the city of Miami Beach in a state of emergency.
What We Know:
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The popular South Florida destination declared a state of emergency on Saturday after thousands of mask-less travelers flocked to the area after the city announced rolled-back COVID-19 restrictions. In a news conference that afternoon, mayor Dan Gelber announced that officials would be shutting down traffic on the causeways leading into the beach, ordered outdoor restaurants to suspend outdoor dining starting at 7 p.m., and placed an 8 p.m. curfew for the South Beach entertainment district for the next 72 hours.
- “And too many people are coming here with bad intentions,” Gelber said during the announcement, citing overcrowded streets, trashed beaches, and poorly-treated venues.
“At night there is no question that it becomes a place that feels a little out of control or a lot out of control. At times you see things that shouldn’t happen and no community should have to endure,” the mayor continued.
- City commissioners voted on Sunday to extend restrictions through the end of the month, with the possibility that they could be extended to mid-April. The effort to deflect crowds will continue to place an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in their entertainment district, with the exception of restaurant delivery services and restrictions on causeways beginning at 10 p.m.
- Officials blame cheap flight tickets and hotel deals for the influx of party-goers, suggesting that the crowds are not only college students but adults looking to leave their pandemic fatigue behind. City Manager Raul Aguila reported that more than half of the 1,000 arrests made last weekend were from people out of state. They came “to engage in lawlessness and an anything-goes party attitude,” he added.
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, warned travelers, “Every time there’s a surge in travel, we have a surge in cases in this country.”
