The city of Miami Beach declared a state of emergency on Saturday due to the spring break crowds that attended the popular South Florida destination.
During an afternoon press conference, Mayor Dan Gelber announced a 8 pm curfew for the entertainment district of South Beach. He also said that land traffic on the city’s sidewalks would be blocked.
Both measures would be in place for at least 72 hours, said the mayor, while the extension of the emergency is debated by the authorities.
“When we reach the peak of spring break, we are simply overwhelmed,” said Mayor Raul Águila.
The crowds last night looked like those at a rock concert, according to officials.
“You couldn’t see the pavement and you couldn’t see the grass,” said Águila.
State figures indicate that parts of South Florida remained critical points for the Covid-19 transmission. The state has exceeded 2 million cases of coronavirus.
In the midst of this scenario, the authorities had to deal with crowds of college students and young people who flocked to the warm shores of Miami Beach.
On Thursday night, along the city’s famous Ocean Drive, police used pepper balls in an effort to stop a fight at a restaurant, according to NBC South Florida.
Citing the crowd, the Clevelander South Beach hotel said it was temporarily shutting down its bar and restaurant services.
“Recently, we have grown increasingly concerned about the safety of our dedicated employees and valuable customers and the city’s ability to maintain a safe environment in the surrounding area,” the hotel said in a statement.
Police chief Rick Clements said his officers responded to several fights in South Beach on Friday night. Tables and chairs were used as improvised weapons, according to the chief.
During the press conference on Saturday, the mayor blamed part of the crowd on accessible travel.
“There are a lot of cheap flights,” said Gelber. “Last month, you could arrive here from Philadelphia, New York or Chicago for $ 50 for a round trip.”
Michelle Acevedo contributed.