Miami Beach, Florida, declared a state of emergency on Saturday amid concerns over large crowds of spring breakers gathering in the city.
Mayor Dan Gelber (D) of Miami Beach said during one news conference New measures will be implemented on Saturday that “are essentially intended to reduce the number of people coming to the area.”
Gelber announced a 8pm curfew in the entertainment area and a restriction on eastbound traffic on city paths that are only accessible to residents and hotel guests.
The measures enter into force on Saturday at 9 p.m. and remain in effect for 72 hours. Gelber said he will hold an emergency meeting with the city committee on Sunday to address the measures.
The city later posted the emergency order on its Twitter account. According to the order, these actions are separate from the actions taken by the city to combat COVID-19.
The City of Miami Beach Announces 8:00 PM Curfew in High Impact Zone Starting Tonight – Officials Also Impose Additional Spring Break Emergency Measures pic.twitter.com/3lmt3FsbJw
– #MaskUpMiamiBeach (@MiamiBeachNews) March 20, 2021
The news comes as photos from the area show a crowd of people who have come to town and gathered on the beaches, ignoring the COVID-19 protocols.
Miami Beach Interim City Manager Raul Aguila said Saturday he has received emails from businesses that have voluntarily closed or are unwilling to open due to the crowds.
The state of emergency marks a point of escalation in the matter following reports of noisy spring breakers this month.
Gelber told CBS News that hundreds of spring breakers had been arrested for ignoring the city’s coronavirus guidelines, and police officers had been injured dealing with the crowds.
‘If you come here because you think anything is possible, you’re going to have a terrible time. We’re going to arrest you. We have made hundreds and hundreds of arrests ”, said Gelber at the time.
Police had to disperse a crowd of about 200 jumpers who were “unruly” and surround cops through an intersection by firing pepper balls. Miami Beach police said at the time that several people were detained and two officers were injured.
According to The affiliate of NBC News in South Florida, police again had to use pepper balls on Friday to disperse a crowd after a fight broke out in a restaurant.
“There is no doubt that at night it will be a place that gets a little out of hand or a lot out of control,” Gelber said on Saturday. “Sometimes you see things that you realize shouldn’t happen and that no community should put up with it.”
Updated 7:14 PM