MIAMI BEACH, FL — Saying their cities can’t become a “petri dish” for the new coronavirus, the mayors of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale — two of Florida’s most popular spring break destinations — announced sweeping measures Sunday to shut down the annual spring rite for the rest of this year, including beach closures, curfews and early closing times for restaurants and bars.
“This is not a time to panic, nor is it a time to sit idly by,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis told reporters at a rare joint press conference with the mayor of Miami Beach. “This is a time for clear and decisive action.”
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the young people who traveled to his city did not appear to be taking the public health crisis seriously.
“It was young people who believe they are invincible and probably don’t think about this in any way as a health crisis,” Gelber told reporters. “But let me tell you something, especially the young people out there: You have a mother. You have a grandmother. Maybe you have a great grandmother. That virus can be extremely deadly to them and the whole concept of a pandemic is to work as a community.”
Some of the most popular beach locations in both cities will shut down between now and April 12 while all bars and restaurants must close by 10 p.m. Occupancy limits will also be reduced in both cities to a maximum of 250.
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State health officials announced 39 more positive cases of the new coronavirus disease early Sunday, the most in any one-day period since the first two cases were reported nearly two weeks ago.
Fort Lauderdale is located in Broward County which has some 40 cases of the new coronavirus — the most of any of Florida’s 67 counties, including multiple cases with no apparent link to international travel or someone who contracted the illness from a known source.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged Saturday there is “evidence of community spread” in his state.
In Miami Beach, the measures go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Non-essential businesses will be required to close by 10 p.m. until further notice and the city is urging restaurants, bars and nightclubs to decrease their capacity by 50 percent to create social distancing.
Businesses excluded from the order include pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, private offices, banks, hotels, hospitals, medical service providers, medical supply stores, hardware stores, gasoline service stations and automotive supply or repair shops.
All beaches from Fifth to 15 streets — essentially much of South Beach — will be closed until further notice.
A curfew will be imposed between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. at the city’s entertainment district, which includes Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue. City-owned parking garages and surface lots will only be open to residents with proof of residency and access card holders.
In Fort Lauderdale, all public gatherings of any type, whether organized or otherwise, of greater than 250 people are prohibited.
All bars, nightclubs and restaurants must close by 10 p.m. and remain closed until at least 6 a.m. the following day.
All bars, nightclubs, and restaurants must reduce their occupancy by 50 percent.
All public beaches in the city of Fort Lauderdale will be closed from the Atlantic Ocean to the easternmost sidewalk of State Road A1A or to any right-of-way or property line from Oakland Park Boulevard south to Harbor Drive.
Finally, all city recreational facilities will be closed.