USA
America's most popular "hotspots" such as beaches in Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Florida) have begun to close after a series of drastic measures by the government.
On March 20, a large number of people flocked to Clearwater Beach despite the authorities' plan to close the beach from March 23. According to the Tampa Bay newspaper, business owners in Clearwater had previously petitioned Mayor George N. Cretekos not to close the beaches during spring break, because this is the place that brings the largest source of revenue for the tourism sector in the area. But they failed. In general, most beaches in Florida have closed, although authorities have also had difficulties in planning to close some beaches such as: Jacksonville, Key West...
Previously, Miami authorities closed South Beach – Miami's most famous beach, limiting the number of people gathering there to no more than 250 and imposing a curfew at 11 pm on Saturday.
Clearwater Beach is deserted after the closure order was issued
Then stricter regulations were imposed on Miami-Dade County (where at least 76 cases of Covid-19 have been identified) making it illegal to gather even more than 10 people on Miami Beach.
In Fort Lauderdale, where at least 80 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on March 18, city officials also closed part of Fort Lauderdale Beach, limited the number of people to no more than 250 and implemented a curfew from 10 p.m.
In Hawaii, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he had a hard time forcing the closure of these beaches, as previously low tide beaches were open to the public under the control of the state of Hawaii and DLNR (the law enforcement agency of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources).
Australia
Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach was also closed on March 21, after images of thousands of people flocking to the shore in recent days despite Covid-19 prevention regulations shocked public opinion.
Beachgoers enjoyed an unusually warm autumn with temperatures ranging from 30-34 degrees Celsius on March 20 and 21 at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
This is what Health Minister Greg Hunt stressed is “unacceptable” for disobeying “social distancing” orders amid a sharp increase in Covid-19 infections in Australia.
Previously, on March 20, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced regulations on "social distancing". Accordingly, indoor venues such as restaurants, bars... must maintain a density of no more than 1 person per 4 square meters of floor space. Overall, the limit of 100 people gathering indoors and 500 people outdoors remains in effect.
New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott, when announcing the closure of Bondi Beach, also warned: “This will become the new norm” if people continue to fail to comply with regulations prohibiting gatherings of 500 or more people at a non-essential outdoor event...
Sydney city also became deserted
