Miami Beach has authorized police officers to hand out citations to people who refuse to wear masks in the city's commercial districts during the holiday season.
City Manager Jimmy Morales said the enforcement, which begins Wednesday, is in response to the anticipation of a high number of visitors for Thanksgiving weekend.
Officers are authorized to hand out masks to people who are not wearing one. If they refuse to take it, the officer will then issue a citation. Police will focus on the city's commercials districts, like Lincoln Road, Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue.
This is despite an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis back in September that suspended the collection of COVID-19 related fines.
"We recognize that under the governor's order, we cannot collect any fine or penalty, but the purpose is more about putting folks on notice and encouraging safe behavior," Morales said in a statement Tuesday.
The new crackdown will run through the holiday weekend and could be extended by city leaders.
