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Florida authorities will close the beaches over the weekend of July 4 over Covid-19 concerns in the state.
At least three counties, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach, plan to close the beaches and parks beginning Friday, July 3 to avoid overcrowding as coronavirus cases continue to rise.
In a statement, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carols Giménez condemned those who did not adhere to social distancing and mask wear measures and appealed to “common sense.”
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The mayor also warned that Miami’s beaches and parks may remain closed.
“As we continue to see more positive Covid-19 results among young adults and increasing hospitalizations, I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to stop this recent increase is to crack down on recreational activities that elevate our community is generally at risk, “said Mr. Giménez.
He added that “this new order will be aimed at those who are most irresponsible and jeopardize the health of our community and our economic recovery.”
All beaches and parks in Miami-Dade County will close between Friday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 7, while gatherings and parades with more than 50 people are prohibited.
At the same time, the beaches of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County will be closed between Friday, July 3 and Sunday, July 5, Mayor Dean Trantalis said Sunday.
“The reason we do this is because we feel that we will not be able to provide the necessary safe environment that everyone has the right to enjoy when they come to our beaches,” said Mr. Trantalis.
“Our businesses will remain open, all restaurants, all T-shirt stores, all retail stores, everything will be open,” he continued. “But unfortunately, because we normally anticipate large crowds, perhaps even from other counties, we made the decision to move on.”
Still, the crowds criticized the Broward County authorities who made that announcement, with some slogans like “Freedom” and “This is America,” CNN said.
Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner told the media Sunday that he would also announce plans to close the beaches this weekend.
“It is an unfortunate result, but public health remains the focus of Palm Beach County elected leaders,” Kerner said. “Unfortunately, this Fourth of July will not be spent on the beach.”
Those announcements came when more than 9,500 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Florida on Saturday, beating the 24-hour high seen on Friday, which had 9,000 new cases.
Florida has seen almost new 24-hour highs every day since mid-June, and some 132,000 cases, 3,300 deaths overall.
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