Miami Closing Beaches for July 4th Holiday

With Florida poised to become the next COVID-19 epicenter, Miami is taking drastic measures to help curtail the fast-spreading virus.

With the state reporting a record 8,942 cases on Friday, Miami-Dade’s Mayor announced he will close down the areas famous beaches from Friday, July 3 through Tuesday, July 7, and will only allow gatherings of 50 people or less during that time.

Additionally, public viewing of all firework displays will not be allowed from county parks, or beaches and must be viewed from a person’s home or parked car.

After consulting with our County’s public health experts, I will be signing an emergency order on Saturday to close all beaches in Miami-Dade County starting Friday, July 3, and ending Tuesday, July 7. More info: https://t.co/oSgkrB8CrS pic.twitter.com/CydnVmljz5

— Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez (@MayorGimenez) June 27, 2020

“After all the success we have had tamping down the COVID-19 curve, we cannot turn back and overload our hospitals, putting our doctors and nurses at greater risk with more emergency room cases,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a press release.

“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,” Gimenez said. “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.”

The Mayor indicated the closure may be extended if conditions do not improve.