NBC 6’s Carolina Peguero has more on what officials could decide during Wednesday’s meeting in the face of the ongoing COVID pandemic.
As spring break nears and college students ready their plans to descend on Miami Beach, city officials are taking action to prevent a possible “super spreader” event in South Florida.
Miami Beach is taking a different approach to spring break as coronavirus cases continue to increase in South Florida: organized events.
The city is tentatively teaming up with a production company to host curated gatherings such as Thursday Flicks, Friday Concerts and Saturday Grooves.
City commissioners are scheduled to vote Wednesday whether to approve the plan on scheduled events with Covid restrictions in place for spring breakers.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber says the idea is to stage organized events to steer spring breakers away from overdrinking, partying in the middle of the streets, and at times, getting violent.
“We are open we just don’t want large gatherings,” Gelber said. “We were trying to explore programming alternative events to try and control some of what’s happening.”
Critical to South Beach’s existence, restaurants and the hospitality industry have bore the brunt of the pandemic. Some local business owners are eager to accommodate spring breakers, welcoming them with open arms.
Local
“That’s what gives life to Miami Beach,” one local business owner said. “The tourists that come to Miami Beach from Atlanta, Carolina, from New York, that’s what can bring other revenue for other restaurants around here.”
