City of Miami Beach Issues Declaration of State of Emergency Due to Larger Than Expected Spring Break Crowds

Edited by: Fern Sidman

Miami Beach Interim City Manager Raul J. Aguila has declared a State of Emergency throughout the City in light of the Miami Beach Police Department’s significant concerns relating to larger than expected spring break crowds.

According to a report in the Miami Herald, Aguila said that the sudden orders — which some business owners worry could cripple venues banking on the crush of tourists to help them bounce back from the pandemic — constituted the most far-reaching restrictions on spring break partying that Miami Beach City Hall has imposed in recent memory. “These crowds are in the thousands,” Aguila said. “We’re at capacity.”

Aguila told the Miami Herald that he recommends keeping the emergency measures in place through April 12, or the end of spring break. The emergency orders will expire Tuesday evening unless extended by the Miami Beach City Commission, which is scheduled to hold an emergency 3 p.m. Sunday meeting.

According to the Declaration of a State of Emergency, “during Spring Break 2021, multiple fights, brawls, melees, and other public displays and disturbances of the peace have occurred, resulting in numerous injuries to civilians and police officers, and causing extensive property damage to both public and private property.”

The declaration also stated that “in response to unruly behavior exhibited by these large crowds during Spring Break 2021, the City has required the assistance of additional police officers from various law enforcement agencies, such as the Miami-Dade County Police Department, Miami Gardens Police Department, Coral Gables Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol, in an attempt to control the unruly crowds and maintain law and order in the City.”

In terms of Covid-19 restrictions, the declaration stated that “in addition, many of the City’s visitors during Spring Break 2021 continue to gather and socialize in extremely close proximity to one another without any facial coverings or regard for appropriate social distancing, which poses a direct threat to the health of themselves, their families and others, in violation of Miami-Dade County Emergency Orders and City Emergency Orders.”

In response to the emergency, and in order to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors, the Interim City Manager has implemented the following emergency measures, effective immediately, for a period of three consecutive days unless otherwise determined by the Miami Beach City Commission.

• Effective each night, from 8 p.m. through 6 a.m., a curfew shall be imposed in the area bounded by 5 Street on the south, 16 Street on the north, Pennsylvania Avenue on the west, and Ocean Drive on the east (the “High Impact Zone”). Restaurants within the High Impact Zone shall be permitted to continue to operate until 12 a.m. for delivery services only. Pursuant to Section 26-33(a)(1) of the City Code, the curfew shall not apply to the provision of designated essential services, such as fire, police and hospital services, including the transportation of patients thereto, utility emergency repairs, and emergency calls by physicians.
• Eastbound lanes on the MacArthur Causeway and Julia Tuttle Causeway shall be completely CLOSED to traffic from 9 p.m. through 6 a.m., except to City residents, guests of hotels in the City, and employees of business establishments in the City.
• Eastbound lanes on the Venetian Causeway shall be completely CLOSED to traffic from 9 p.m. through 6 a.m., except to City residents.
• Effective each night, from 8 p.m. through 6 a.m., Ocean Drive shall be CLOSED to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, except to City residents requiring access to or from their homes, guests of hotels requiring access to or from their hotels, and employees of business establishments. Other public roads within the High Impact Zone may be closed as deemed necessary by the Interim City Manager or Chief of Police.
• Effective each night, from 7 p.m. through 6 a.m., all sidewalk café operations, including expanded outdoor restaurant seating, shall be SUSPENDED in the High Impact Zone, pursuant to the City’s High Impact Ordinance and City Commission Resolution No. 2021-31599. All sidewalk café operators are directed to stack or remove tables and chairs no later than 8 p.m. each night.

Any violation of these emergency measures shall subject the individual, operator, business entity, or organization to arrest and criminal prosecution pursuant to Section 26-36 and Section 1-14 of the City Code.

The City strongly urges all businesses in the High Impact Zone to close voluntarily during the State of Emergency.

The Mayor has called an emergency meeting of the City Commission on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 3 p.m. to discuss and take action with regard to the Declaration of a State of Emergency. Please click the following link to join the webinar: https://miamibeachfl-gov.zoom.us/j/81392857671. The Webinar ID is 813 9285 7671.

This Declaration of a State of Emergency and the measures set forth are separate from and in addition to the emergency measures currently in effect related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foregoing measures shall be in place for a period of up to 72 hours, unless determined otherwise by the Mayor and City Commission.