Beaches in Miami-Dade County will close over the weekend of July 4, less than a month after the reopening, and gatherings of 50 or more will be banned due to recent increases in coronavirus cases.
FLORIDA PROHIBITS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN BARS AS CORONAVIRUS CASES RISE AMONG MINOR DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE STATE
County Mayor Carlos Giménez will sign an emergency order to close the beaches beginning Friday, July 3 and through Tuesday, July 7, his office announced Friday.
Giménez said the measure was necessary and “prudent” and reiterated that masks are required inside and outside the companies when social distancing is not possible.
Violators could face a second-degree criminal penalty of up to $ 500 and 180 days in jail, the county mayor said.
Nivek Divincci wears a protective mask while posing for a photograph on the beach in Haulover Park during the new coronavirus pandemic, Friday, June 19, 2020 in Miami.
(AP)
“I have been seeing too many businesses and people ignoring these life-saving rules,” Giminez said in a statement. “If people are not going to be responsible and protect themselves and others from this pandemic, then the government is forced to step in and restore common sense to save lives.”
Miami-Dade County reported 1,330 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. The previous day’s peak marked the highest total number of cases in a single day since the pandemic. The county is currently battling 31,526 coronavirus cases and has the highest number of deaths in the state with 947 people dead.
UNITED STATES CORONAVIRUS DEATHS PROJECTED TO REACH 180,000 IN OCTOBER
Sunbathers bask in the sun as beaches reopen with restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, June 10, 2020.
(Reuters)
Florida’s alarming surge in new cases broke another record on Saturday after the state health department confirmed 9,585 cases. The number of new cases in the past seven days accounted for nearly 30 percent of the state’s total bill. 24 additional new deaths were also recorded.
Currently, 132,545 people across the state have been infected with the virus and more than 3,390 people have died.
“Really, nothing has changed in the last week in terms of, we had a great test dump, we’ve been testing it, 10 to 15 percent have had positive results over the last week. That’s a big change from where we were at early June, when we were basically 3-4 percent positive in terms of statewide, “Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, said Saturday. “Obviously we liked where we were throughout May and early June in terms of positivity.”
“After all the success we’ve had in reducing the COVID-19 curve, we can’t back down and overload our hospitals, putting our doctors and nurses at greater risk with more cases in the emergency room,” said Giménez.
“Everyone must do their part and follow the rules.”
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Florida has also lifted other previously lifted restrictions in recent days, including banning alcohol consumption in bars, as Desantis admitted earlier this week that COVID-19 transmission is being fueled by a younger demographic of people. 18 to 35 years old,
