freedom by day, curfew at night and anti-covid vaccines for (almost) everyone

Miami always arouses admiration: its streets, the sea, the beach … the luxury cars, the glorious hotels. And in the middle of spring break, which in the United States lasts from March to April, Americans, mostly students without too much trouble, stop in the city to bask in its charms and the climate. So it was. And so it’s in the middle of a pandemic because in this sunny enclave freedoms reign, while in the rest of the world restrictions prevail. There is also vaccines for (almost) everyone.

However, faced with what can be defined as a lack of sanitary control, Dan Gelber, the mayor of the city, has decided to declare a state of emergency in Miami and institute a curfew that has lasted for more than 15 days.

According to Mayor Gelber, the students arrive “with the intention of breaking the rules, creating a level of chaos and disorder that the authorities cannot control.” And they arrive in a storm. “The crowds that have come to town are more than we can handle,” he laments.

Curfew

Curfews begin at 8:00 p.m. throughout the Miami Beach area, where the concentration of dining and entertainment venues is greatest. The path is also closed to people who do not reside in the place from 9 p.m.

This is the second time that students who wish to spend their spring break in this region of the United States have faced a curfew.

Those who knew Miami before the pandemic warn that the city, despite its attractions, is no longer the same. At night, the mythical Collins Avenue, parallel to the sea, with its palm trees, hotels and modern buildings is much more desert usual.

After riots in the central street of Ocean Drive, full of restaurants and bars, by students as part of the “spring break”, the authorities decided to extend the curfew at least until the next one. April 12.

Vaccines… for everyone?

Bugle spoke with an Argentinian resident who has lived in Miami for almost 30 years, Juan Alberto Maciel (51), to find out first-hand what is going on in the city, especially with a subject that touches everyone: vaccines.

Covid-19 vaccination in Miami is open for each person over 18 years old. In the case of minors of this age, they must come with a parent or guardian to be vaccinated. And also have the authorization of the doctor who proves that the minor suffers from some drawbacks health that warrants prompt vaccination (eg, with asthma).

Maciel, who works at a company as a captain of small boats, said Bugle that in many cases no need to have an appointment to get vaccinated. Many people come to the vaccination centers in the afternoon, between 15 and 16 to be able to receive the vaccine without having to make an appointment.

“You go by appointment or without appointment, whatever, And there is a trick that a lot of people do, like the vaccine came out of freezers that are at an extreme temperature of -62 ° Fahrenheit (about -52 ° C), when they take the vaccine out of those freezers, they can’t more go back to save it. This is why people leave at this time, just before the vaccination centers close, and the remaining vaccines are given to them, so as not to throw them away, ”he said.

“A lot of people come from all over, no matter where they are from. From Colombia, Paraguay, even Argentina to get vaccinated here, ”he adds.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the suspension of the nighttime curfew effective April 12 due to accelerating vaccination rates in Florida.

Levine Cava said in a statement the decision was made because the county’s positivity rate was all the rage stable down and also thanks to the availability of vaccines which has increased: “Our best tool, of course, is this vaccine, it is the only thing that will end this pandemic so that we can get back to normal and rebuild our economy “, added the mayor.

But if it’s okay there are no restrictions of age to be vaccinated, the State of Florida continues to require proof of residence in the state, both an official document that proves an address in the area or utility bills that show the person’s name and an address.

Go prisoner

Miami tourist area limits traffic until 8 p.m.. “Miami Beach was normally open until 7 am and with the sale of alcohol there was no problem. Now you can buy it until 10 at night and soon it will be limited until 8 at night, ”Juan Maciel explains to Clarín.

When leaving the island, people can continue to enjoy the night in what is known as the city center, where the restrictions do not seem to exist. so strict.

“I can assure you that the curfew here is being observed. If a police officer stops you after hours and you have no way of justifying being on the street, he gives you an initial warning. The next time, it’s not so friendly anymore. They fine you and you can even go to jail for 24 hours, ”he explains. “The curfew has intensified further due to the spring break.”

“The use of the chinstrap it is mandatory, in restaurants, in bars, to move around in the street, everywhere, ”he adds.

However, in many parts of Miami, and much more because of the influx of students who have arrived, these measures they don’t respect each other too much and curfews appear to be the most restrictive way to stop infections, as vaccination progresses.

Rising numbers

The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States exceeds 30 million infections, with a balance of more than 555 thousand deaths, being the country that has had the most positive points since the start of the pandemic more than ‘a year.

And Miami is no exception to this reality, Florida being one of the many affected, with more than 32,000 deaths from Covid-19. Recent figures indicate that more than 2 million infections have accumulated since March of last year to date, in this state alone.

In turn, Miami-Dade is the county of Florida most affected due to the pandemic, and that’s already adding about 6,000 deaths.

Florida has nearly 22 million inhabitants and Miami in particular with almost 500 thousand. Of these 22 million, 13 million are adults (over the age of 18). Currently, at least 3.6 million people have already been vaccinated with the first dose, of which 2.5 million are waiting for the second dose.

Miami-Dade, meanwhile, is the most affected place in this region since the start of the pandemic: it has nearly 450,000 reported cases and a total of nearly 6,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

ap