Why are Miami-Dade beaches that were to open still closed and tied to the curfew?
When Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez set a countywide curfew after Saturday’s protests, he tied the reopening of the beaches to the lifting of the curfew.
But the beaches, which have been closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic and were supposed to open Monday, would be open during daylight hours. The curfew was modified Wednesday to run from midnight until 6 a.m. in Miami-Dade.
Why are the beaches tied to the curfew?
Is this a punitive punishment for protesting, some might wonder?
No, not at all, says Patricia Abril, communications director for the office of the mayor.
“The mayor has said that police officers are a big part of enforcement upon beach reopening, and the resources have had to be diverted for the time being,” she said.
Miami Beach and Key Biscayne also kept their beaches closed. Broward’s curfew order didn’t specify beaches, which reopened last week. On Wednesday, Broward lifted its curfew altogether.
When Miami Beach announced its plans to reopen its beaches, a city spokeswoman said more than 100 “social distancing ambassadors will be deployed on the beach daily for the next few weeks to ensure patrons are following” the restrictions all beaches (and pools) must now follow during the COVID-19 crisis.
What about pools?
Pools, which also were in the order to open Monday in Miami-Dade, were allowed to reopen. But many condo association pools have yet to comply because property owners are still in the process of making them comply with the order — which, in some cases, means having a pool attendant on hand to enforce the rules or have required supplies, like hand sanitizers, in the restrooms.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 12:30 PM.
