The latest on travel during the Covid-19 pandemic

The City of Miami Beach commission has extended an emergency order declaring a curfew starting from 8 p.m. ET Thursday through Sunday until at least March 30. 

The commission said that City Manager Raul Aguila will have the option to extend for two additional weeklong increments through April 13 if needed. 

Causeways will be closed during those days from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. to people who are not employees, residents or hotel guests, the commission agreed. Residents will have a dedicated lane to get back in going forward.

Ocean Avenue will also be closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. except for city residents who need to access the road, hotel guests staying on Ocean Ave and employees. 

Restaurants within the high impact zone will be able to continue to provide delivery service. 

Aguila will have the power to close other public roads as necessary or enact a curfew if needed.

All sidewalk cafe operations need to be suspended within the high impact zone from 7 p.m. through 6 a.m. ET and will need to remove their tables chairs and street furniture by 8 p.m. ET each night. 

“The goal here is to really contain the overwhelming crowd of visitors, and the potential for violence disruption and damage to and damage to property, whether intentional or not,” Aguila said. “Unfortunately, this is the last thing that I had wanted to do. But this is a spring break like no other. As you said, these aren’t your typical spring breakers and it’s a concentrated area. 

“Not all people that visit Miami Beach are bad, come to Miami Beach with the intent of breaking the law, and disrupting our quality of life. But this is a different situation, and it calls for drastic measures,” Aguila added.