Miami Beach, Florida, declared a state of emergency Saturday out of concern over the large crowd gathering in the city.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber (D) said during a press conference On Saturday, new measures will be implemented that “have the essential goal of reducing the number of people” arriving in the area.
Gelber announced a curfew at 8 p.m. in the Entertainment District and a restriction of eastbound traffic on city streets that will only be accessible to hotel residents and guests.
The measures will take effect at 9pm on Saturday and will remain in force for 72 hours. Gelber said he will hold an emergency meeting with the City Commission on Sunday to address the measures.
The city subsequently posted the emergency order on its Twitter account. According to the order, these actions are independent of those that the city has launched to combat COVID-19.
The city of Miami Beach announces the curfew at 8 p.m. in the high-impact zone starting tonight: Officials are also imposing additional emergency measures for spring break pic.twitter.com/3lmt3FsbJw
– #MaskUpMiamiBeach (@MiamiBeachNews) March 20, 2021
The news comes when photos of the area show crowds of people approaching the city and gathered on its beaches, ignoring COVID-19 protocols.
Miami Beach interim interim manager Raul Aguila said Saturday he received emails from companies that have voluntarily closed or do not want to open because of the crowds.
The state of emergency marks a escalation point in the problem following reports of annoying spring break this month.
Gelber told CBS News that hundreds of spring breakwaters had been arrested for ignoring the city’s coronavirus guidelines and that police officers had been injured trying to handle the crowds.
“If you come here because you think everything is going well, you will have a terrible time. We will arrest you. We have made hundreds and hundreds of arrests, ”Gelber said at the time.
Police had to disperse a crowd of about 200 spring mills who were “undisciplined” and surrounded by officers at an intersection by firing pepper balls. The Miami Beach Police Department then said several people were arrested and two officers were injured.
In accordance with Affiliated with NBC News in south florida, police had to use pepper balls again on Friday to disperse a crowd after a fight broke out in a restaurant.
“At night, there is no doubt that it will become a place that feels a little out of control or very out of control,” Gelber said Saturday. “Sometimes you see things that you realize shouldn’t happen and that no community should endure.”
Updated at 7:14 p.m.