While vaccines are continuing to proliferate around the United States and COVID-19 restrictions are (perhaps unwisely) beginning to loosen, the pandemic is very much not over yet. While infections and deaths are on a downward trend, they are still occurring. As such, I, like many others, were under the impression that spring break just wasn’t happening this year. Apparently, spring breakers didn’t agree with that assessment as they flock in claustrophobic crowds to Miami Beach.
Interestingly, while there were teenagers in the crowd as one would expect, the spring break horde was primarily made up of 30 and 40-year-olds, desperate to take advantage of Florida’s relaxed restrictions and engage in some old fashioned debauchery. Mass outbreaks of unruly behavior, destruction of property, and unsurprisingly, no masks, has prompted proportional crackdowns from local law enforcement and government. In an effort to control the crowds, a state of emergency was declared in Miami Beach, which included a curfew ranging from 8 PM to 6 AM.
This state of emergency was only supposed to last the weekend, but as incidents have not slowed down, city officials announced that the order will be extended for the entire rest of the week, and they’re willing to take it into April if necessary.
“We couldn’t go on any longer,” Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements said during the officials’ meeting, defending the city’s curfew. “I think this was the right decision.”
Miami Beach officials have extended an 8 p.m. curfew for at least another week. The decision followed over 1,000 arrests as unruly spring breakers gathered by the thousands, fought in the streets, destroyed restaurant property and refused to wear masks. https://t.co/texCxkDkpf
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 21, 2021
In addition to the state of emergency and curfew, the city has taken multiple measures to try and limit the influx of out-of-state tourists. Multiple causeways into the city have been closed off to non-residents, and restaurants have been encouraged to voluntarily close their doors. It isn’t currently known
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