Tampa- The lively New Years Eve celebrations raged across the Tampa Bay area on the same day Florida has broken the record for the number of coronavirus cases, with more than 17,000 Cases were added in one day.

Departments and agencies on both sides of the bay encouraged residents to celebrate safely. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor tweeted advice to stay home From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Saint Petersburg told residents on Twitter: „Celebrating around New York City or with your family members (who constantly take measures to limit the spread of COVID-19) poses the slightest risk of its spread.“

But crowds thronged Ybor City, Channelside, St.Petersburg and at other local bars for parties that almost seemed to be in the pre-coronavirus period – with just a few masks and a little social distancing in sight.

Videos posted on social media show DJs playing indoors in front of large crowds and party tables with just a few masks to be found.

Crowds danced shoulder to shoulder to the beat of the music outside the Coyote Ugly Saloon in Tampa. Party-goers poured onto the street with Ybor City clubs closing at 2:30 a.m.

Efforts to reach some of the clubs and bars shown in the photos via phone and social media on New Year’s Day were unsuccessful.

Night’s antics attracted critics and transsexuals on social media. Some have posted photos of the growing crowds, while others have questioned the impact on the capacity of the district hospital.

Dr. Marisa Levine, a professor of public health and family medicine at the University of South Florida, said the upward trend in coronavirus cases is likely to continue after the New Year holidays when young people return the coronavirus to their multi-generational homes.

„If any of these guys that we see at these parties take her back to that kind of family, that’s where we run the risk of more serious cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths,“ Levine said.

Levin had hoped that „people would keep their guard“ and stick to small outdoor gatherings with face masks to celebrate the holiday.

„I’m not terribly surprised that every holiday we’ve seen lately has had similar types of styles,“ Levine said. But we’ve never been in this situation before, we have a record number of cases. And we’re also trying to launch a vaccine campaign, which could be hampered if our healthcare system continues to be under pressure and may be overburdened. It could definitely end our ability to vaccinate people. „

Additionally, Levine said, a mutant version of the virus, which is more transmissible than the original strain, has already made its way to Florida and could spread in crowded crowds.

„I think the next few weeks to the next months are probably going to be, as many have said, some of the darkest days,“ Levine said. „We are already seeing our hospitals tense. We have seen cases rise. We have seen hospital admissions rise. In all likelihood, deaths will continue to rise as well.“

Castor spokeswoman Ashley Bowman said the Tampa law enforcement officers had not been dispatched Thursday night. Instead, Tampa police officers were sent.

Bowman wrote in a text on Friday: „The law will be enforced in force tonight and tomorrow.“ „We are encouraged by the majority of our people who are in compliance and know exactly who is not.“

Tampa police worked with law enforcement before the holiday to educate business owners about the role of face masks in preventing the spread of COVID-19, Vanessa Nettingham, a spokeswoman for the Tampa Police Department, wrote in an email.

„We are delighted that the majority of our residents and our companies are taking active roles to help slow the spread of Covid-19,“ she wrote. „We are also aware of the video, which was captured as the entertainment establishment closes, and which shows individuals on the street not wearing masks as they prepare to return to their homes.“

Elsewhere, traditional epidemic suppression Celebrate Times Square That usually crowds a million people on the streets to watch the ball fall. The government in Washington, DC has banned sales of alcoholic beverages after 10 p.m. to keep partying to a minimum. And in Florida, Broward County imposed a 1 a.m. curfew to bring residents home early.

But even so, huge parties were happening all over the state. CBS Miami reported that South Beach and Fort Lauderdale Beach It was crowded with revelers, although cities closed their typical large celebrations.

Social media posts show the lively Wynwood Walls & Arts neighborhood in Miami crowded with live music and dancing. Hundreds of streets filled South Beach for the vacation – some with masks, others not.

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