The city of Miami Beach declared a state of emergency on Saturday over the crowds of the spring break that descended on the popular destination in South Florida.
Mayor Dan Gelber announced a curfew for the South Beach entertainment district during an afternoon news conference. He also said that the traffic ashore along the roads of the city will be closed.
Both measures will be in place for at least 72 hours, the mayor said, while officials discussed them.
“As we reach the pinnacle of spring break, we are simply overwhelmed,” said Raul Aguila, city manager.
According to officials, crowds last night looked like those of a rock concert.
“You could not see sidewalk and you could not see grass,” Aguila said.
State figures indicate that parts of South Florida were still the focus of the Covid-19 transfer. The state has surpassed 2 million cases of coronavirus.
Amidst this backdrop, authorities had to contend with the crowd of college students and young people flocking to the hot shores of Miami Beach.
According to NBC South Florida, Thursday night, along the famous Ocean Drive, police used peppercorns to break up a restaurant fight.
Referring to the crowd, the Clevelander South Beach Hotel said it was temporarily shutting down its bar and restaurant services.
“Recently, we have become increasingly concerned about the safety of our dedicated employees and valued customers and the ability of the city to maintain a safe environment in the area,” the hotel said in a statement.
Police Chief Rick Clements said his officers responded to several fights in South Beach on Friday night. According to the principal, tables and chairs were used as impromptu weapons.
During Saturday’s news conference, the mayor blamed the crowd for accessible travel.
“There are a lot of cheap flights,” Gelber said. “Last month you could come here from Philadelphia, New York or Chicago for a $ 50 return.”
Michelle Acevedo contributed.