UPDATES: 6:20PM, March 21
Miami Beach City Commission held an emergency meeting Sunday afternoon to discuss extended curfews and causeway closures as they try to get a handle on unruly crowds visiting the city during spring break.
The commission decided unanimously that the curfew should be extended for the next three weekends and enforced Thursday through Sunday until at least April 12, which is the official end of spring break.
Miami, Florida (GNB): The City of Miami Beach imposed an 8 pm curfew on Saturday in the South Beach entertainment district, with closures of major causeways, to control an overwhelming spring break crowd. On Friday night, partying crowds broke into street fights, trashed restaurants and gathered without wearing masks or social distancing. Parts of South Florida continue to be hotspots for COVID-19.
In an announcement of the measures, the City said it “strongly urges all businesses in the High Impact Zone to close voluntarily during the State of Emergency.”
Mayor Dan Gelber said, “Too many people are coming here right now and too many people are coming here with bad intentions.”
In addition to seeing the images and videos of crowds, fights, and large groups of people running away from something, Gelber said he has been out there as well. “A lot at times it is perfectly fine, during the day especially, but at night… it feels out of control.”
“In response to the emergency, and in order to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors, the Interim City Manager has implemented the following emergency measures, effective immediately, for a period of three consecutive days unless otherwise determined by the Miami Beach City Commission”, City of Miami Beach announced on Saturday.
Effective each night, from 8 p.m. through 6 a.m., a curfew shall be imposed in the area bounded by 5 Street on the south, 16 Street on the north, Pennsylvania Avenue on the west, and Ocean Drive on the east (the “High Impact Zone”). Restaurants within the High Impact Zone shall be permitted to continue to operate until 12 a.m. for delivery services only. Pursuant to Section 26-33(a)(1) of the City Code, the curfew shall not apply to the provision of designated essential services, such as fire, police and hospital services, including the transportation of patients thereto, utility emergency repairs, and emergency calls by physicians.
- Eastbound lanes on the MacArthur Causeway and Julia Tuttle Causeway shall be completely CLOSED to traffic from 9 p.m. through 6 a.m., except to City residents, guests of hotels in the City, and employees of business establishments in the City.
- Eastbound lanes on the Venetian Causeway shall be completely CLOSED to traffic from 9 p.m. through 6 a.m., except to City residents.
- Effective each night, from 8 p.m. through 6 a.m., Ocean Drive shall be CLOSED to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, except to City residents requiring access to or from their homes, guests of hotels requiring access to or from their hotels, and employees of business establishments. Other public roads within the High Impact Zone may be closed as deemed necessary by the Interim City Manager or Chief of Police.
- Effective each night, from 7 p.m. through 6 a.m., all sidewalk café operations, including expanded outdoor restaurant seating, shall be SUSPENDED in the High Impact Zone, pursuant to the City’s High Impact Ordinance and City Commission Resolution No. 2021-31599. All sidewalk café operators are directed to stack or remove tables and chairs no later than 8 p.m. each night.
“Any violation of these emergency measures shall subject the individual, operator, business entity, or organization to arrest and criminal prosecution pursuant to Section 26-36 and Section 1-14 of the City Code”, statement read.
The City strongly urges all businesses in the High Impact Zone to close voluntarily during the State of Emergency. The Mayor has called an emergency meeting of the City Commission on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 3 p.m. to discuss and take action with regard to the Declaration of a State of Emergency.
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