All beaches in Miami and the surrounding area will be closed throughout the July 4th holiday weekend to protect people from surging cases of COVID-19, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Giménez announced late Friday.
Giménez said in a statement that he’s signing an emergency order Saturday that will close all Miami-Dade County beaches from July 3 to 7.
“As we continue to see more COVID-19 positive test results among young adults and rising hospitalizations, I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to tamp down this recent uptick is to crack down on recreational activities that put our overall community at higher risk,” he said in the statement.
Giménez warned that the shutdown “may be extended if conditions do not improve and people do not follow ‘New Normal’ rules,” which require face masks inside commercial establishments — and outdoors when social distancing of at least 6 feet isn’t possible.
“I have been seeing too many businesses and people ignoring these lifesaving rules. 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,” he wrote.
Giménez will also ban parades and other gatherings of more than 50 people. People in smaller groups must be masked and maintain social distancing. Fireworks may only be viewed from homes or from parked cars.
The emergency order comes as Florida’s COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing. Both Florida and Texas have shut down bars in the states as new cases of coronavirus are smashing records.
Florida reported a record high of 8,942 new cases of coronavirus Friday, surging past the previous record of 5,508, set just two days prior.
