MIAMI BEACHES WILL CLOSE FOR 4TH OF JULY DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

The intersection of A1A and Las Olas is seen Sunday, June 28. Broward County announced it is joining Miami-Dade County and closing beaches on the July 4 weekend. (Joe Cavaretta/AP)

The state of Florida has been on the forefront of the country’s reopening effort in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, but due to a recent spike in cases, many of its popular beaches will remain closed to residents and tourists during Fourth of July weekend.

Miami will keep its beaches and parks off-limits from Friday, July 3, through Tuesday, July 7, while Fort Lauderdale announced a closure from July 3-5. These restrictions have been put in place due to fears from officials that, during the holiday, people won’t follow the rules put in place to limit the spread of the virus.

Benigno Enriquez, right, elbow-bumps Miami Mayor Francis Suarez as Suarez hands out masks to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, at a mask distribution event, Friday, June 26, in a COVID-19 hotspot of the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

“As we continue to see more COVID-19 positive test results among young adults and rising hospitalizations, I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to tamp down this recent uptick is to crack down on recreational activities that put our overall community at higher risk,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a statement on Friday.

“The reason why we’re doing this is because we feel that we will not be able to provide the necessary safe environment that everyone is entitled to enjoy when they come to our beaches,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, adding that the city had been anticipating large crowds coming from all around the world.

Lines of cars wait at a coronavirus testing site outside of Hard Rock Stadium, Friday, June 26, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Though the decisions are unpopular with some Floridians, they come amid a new state record of 9,585 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, and 8,530 cases on Sunday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has blamed the numbers, which rival New York’s worst days in April, on young people socializing without regard for proper distancing.

A couple walks past a sign asking people not to visit Miami Beach, Florida’s famed South Beach if they have a cough or fever, Monday, June 22. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Mayor Giminez, too, is worried about large gatherings, and warned people that a failure to slow down infections could lead to longer closures than just a holiday weekend.

“If people are not going to be responsible and protect themselves and others from this pandemic, then the government is forced to step in and restore common sense to save lives,” he said.