MIAMI BEACH, FL - June 30, 2020 – According to an online news report published on Local10.com, Miami Beach has made the donning of masks mandatory. Miami Beach law enforcement are issuing fines and placing individuals under arrest for not wearing masks. In addition, businesses that break rules also face hefty fines and arrests. The fine for not wearing a mask in Miami Beach is $50, and businesses are being warned with even more potent penalties for infractions.
The city order that takes effect on Tuesday requires everyone who is in a public place inside city limits, outdoors or indoors, to wear a mask or face covering if they cannot "socially distance" from other people. Mayor Dan Gelber told news outlets that people must wear a mask in Miami Beach. The Miami Beach Mayor went on to say that if you are in Miami Beach and you are outside of a restaurant, on the street, at a park, or in a condo lobby, you must wear a mask. The Mayor also stated that wearing a face-covering or mask is not a political statement and that wearing a mask is necessary yo keep neighbors and loved ones healthy.
According to Miami Beach authorities, a video posted on the Instagram page, "Only in Dade," displays women twerking on a Miami Beach police cruiser, and a group of onlookers was seen without masks. Critics stated that behavior like this was occurring all over the city throughout the weekend, and this is not helping the community recover from the coronavirus.
The Mayor is reminding the public to decrease the socializing because it appears that man young people are going to spread the virus. The Mayor stated that the Miami Beach Police will give a warning to those not wearing a mask as ordered. Also, Miami Beach Police will issue monetary fines to demonstrate that the orders are to be taken seriously.
Miami's Mayor Francis Suarez announced harsher new punishments on Monday for any businesses that do not comply with the city's new emergency orders. The Mayor stated that they would also consider making arrests for none compliance and other sanctions. Miami's Mayor Francis Suarez stated that a business found in non-compliance would be shut down for ten days for the first infraction, fifteen days for a second infraction, and then 30 days for a third infraction. The Mayor stated that business owners who are guilty of a third infraction or subsequent infraction would be subject to arrest.
These new emergency orders come as another record-setting weekend for new cases of coronavirus. The county saw over 2,000 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday. Miami-Dade County has over 35,000 cases of coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. All Miami-Dade beaches are going to be close during the 4th of July weekend, starting on July 3, 2020, until July 7, 2020. City officials are trying to discourage crowds in order to slow the spread of the deadly virus.