One of the largest New Year's celebrations in the country will not take place this year as Key West is enacting a curfew for the holiday amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Key West Mayor Teri Johnson announced Friday that she is enacting an emergency directive for a curfew in order to avoid a public health emergency, a city spokesperson said.
The curfew will run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Dec. 31 through Jan. 3. All non-essential businesses will have to close on or before 10 p.m. and everyone will have to be home or in their hotels or other lodgings by 10:30 p.m.
The curfew won't apply to people returning directly to their homes from work at essential establishments or going directly to work at essential establishments from their homes, people making deliveries from essential establishments, people walking their dogs within 250 feet of their residences, and anyone traveling to or from any religious service.
Tens of thousands of New Year's revelers usually flock to Key West for the holiday, which is celebrated with drops of a giant red shoe, a giant conch, a Key lime wedge and other celebrations.
