Coronavirus Closures: Miami-Dade, Palm Beach Order Shutdown Of Boat Ramps, Marinas
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Add county boat ramps and marinas to the list of closures across Miami-Dade as a response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he made the decision after seeing "photos and videos on social media of boats close together and large groups of people congregating."
The lone exception to the boating activities shutdown is for commercial fishermen who provide food for restaurants and markets.
The mayor said the Miami-Dade Police Department will be patrolling the waters to enforce his "no rafting up" order, which is about ensuring no large groups on the water.
"We are in a state of emergency, and I cannot stress enough the need for personal responsibility. Current guidelines call for gatherings to be limited to groups of 10 or fewer. These sacrifices in our social lives are critical NOW in order to defeat COVID-19," the rest of the mayor's statement read. "Those of you not following these guidelines are putting others at risk, perhaps your own family and friends. And, you could be contributing to a much longer scenario and further shutdowns in our community."
This comes shortly after the mayor issued an executive order that will close most hotels and motels in the county.
Late Sunday afternoon, Palm Beach County also announced its boat ramps and marinas would be closed to all recreational boating activities.
Like Miami-Dade, commercial fishermen in Palm Beach County can continue to operate.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office will be enforcing the closures and monitoring waterways.
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