As coronavirus cases continue to rise across Florida and with more holiday around the corner, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the city is cracking down on people breaking safety rules, especially when it comes to large gatherings or parties.
"We have been cracking down, the last two weeks in particular," Suarez said Monday. "I know that we were out in force this weekend and I know we shut down some major parties that were sort of underground parties, particularly in the Wynwood area and the Little Havana area and I think one in the Brickell area."
Suarez said the city follows up on complaints and has been doing regular checks. He said the Miami Police Department has a 39-member task force solely dedicated to these efforts.
Police officials said that in November, officers performed 1,827 compliance checks with 27 closures as part of the new normal guideline enforcement efforts.
Suarez said it's a balance for the city and they're looking for flagrant violations.
"We don't want to be draconian, we don't want to be excessive," Suarez said. "We're trying to prevent superspreaders, that's what we're trying to prevent."
Suarez said his hands are tied when it comes to enforcing the city's mask mandate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order preventing cities from collecting fines for mask violations.
"Unfortunately we haven't been successful at getting through to the governor, I've called him multiple times and we've tried through a variety of different emissaries, he seems pretty firm on his position," Suarez said. "My hope is that if things get worse, I obviously don't hope that they get worse, but if they get worse at some point, the governor gives us the local control that frankly he gave us from the beginning."
