Village imposes a curfew due to coronavirus: Stay inside after 10 p.m.

Key Biscayne on Monday became the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to implement a citywide curfew in response to the novel coronavirus.

Mayor Mike Davey announced the move Monday afternoon, posting on Twitter that the curfew would be in effect daily between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. until further notice, with a few exceptions.

“Under the curfew no person shall be outside during curfew hours unless such person is providing police, fire, or other governmental services, providing assistance expressly requested by police, fire, or the Village, or participating in, going to, or returning from work,” Davey wrote.

That means a change in behavior for about 13,000 residents of the island town connected to Miami by the Rickenbacker Causeway. Davey told the Miami Herald that, in particular, he hopes to prevent young people in the community from congregating at night and unknowingly spreading the disease.

Village officials were able to impose the curfew because a state of emergency was declared Friday. In a video message to residents Monday evening, Davey said beaches and parks remain open, but suggested that could change in the coming days.

“There’s too much socializing and not enough social distancing,” Davey said. “We need people to understand this isn’t an extended spring break, this is real.”

It’s hard to change residents’ behavior, the mayor said, especially in a small, tight-knit community where the weather is warm and there’s nothing stopping people from going outside. Young people often hang out late at night near a CVS and Sir Pizza along Crandon Boulevard, he said, or at Village Green Park to the north.

“If kids don’t have school, kids go out,” Davey said. “We need to dial that back for the time being.”

All Miami-Dade County Public Schools were closed starting Monday in response to COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Davey said his village’s police force will be talking to residents to make sure they’re adhering to the new rule, which went into effect immediately.

Key Biscayne’s curfew goes beyond what Miami-Dade County authorities have mandated so far to prevent the spread of COVID-19. County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has ordered restaurants, bars and clubs to close by 11 p.m. except for takeout and delivery. He also ordered those businesses to limit their occupancy to the lesser of 50% of their capacity or 250 people.

Miami Beach imposed a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Monday, but only in its entertainment district.

Davey said village officials have been asking restaurants in Key Biscayne to close a bit earlier, around 9 p.m.

“I hate that we have to take this measure,” he said. But, he said, “you have an obligation to look out for others in your community.”

The decision in Key Biscayne came shortly after President Donald Trump advised Americans to avoid groups of 10 or more people and not to eat in public. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already warned against gatherings of 50 people or more.

Davey explained his decision by citing societal efforts to “flatten the curve” in the spread of COVID-19, a term used by experts to describe how the exponential growth in positive cases could be stemmed by wide-scale social distancing.

As of Monday evening, there were 142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among Florida residents and 18 among non-residents in the state. Miami-Dade reached 23 cases. The statewide number has more than tripled since Friday — perhaps as a result of increased testing, but also due to the spread of the disease within communities.

There are no confirmed cases in Key Biscayne, but Davey said he’s concerned by what he’s seen in Florida and around the world.

“I want to be able to say we did everything we could to try and flatten this curve,” Davey said.

Also on Monday, management for the Towers of Key Biscayne, a luxury condo complex in the village with over 500 units, told residents in an email that a contractor who was last on the property Feb. 28 has tested positive for COVID-19.

The contractor had self-quarantined for a week before getting tested because of cold-like symptoms and is now isolated, according to the email.

The email didn’t indicate that management was taking any particular action in response.

“We will keep you informed as information evolves at TKB pertaining to Coronavirus,” the message said.

Davey said he’s aware of the situation and isn’t sure if the contractor is a village resident.

“Everybody should be following CDC guidelines,” he said. “People are gonna get sick, we’re gonna take care of them.”

Miami Herald staff reporter Ana Claudia Chacin contributed to this report.