Suarez also asked that federal authorities help prioritize flights into and out of Miami that assist with the movement of medical supplies, food and personal protective equipment to fight the virus.
In the letter, Suarez wrote, “We are at war with a silent, deadly and merciless enemy. I have personally witnessed its speed, its spread and its lethality among my residents in Miami, and now in the State of Florida… I believe we need to wield our power in a smart, targeted way.”
The mayor asked Trump to use his “authority under existing federal law” to direct the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Defense to carry out his request as soon as possible.
If fulfilled, Suarez’s request would make Miami’s airport the only domestic airport with such a restriction. It’s unclear which cities, states and countries would qualify as “hotspots” as South Florida itself is among the U.S. cities with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Chicago, Detroit, New York City and New Orleans are also among the highest.
It’s also unclear the effect Suarez’s request would have on the city, state and national economies or in stopping the spread of coronavirus in Miami, a city of 470,000.
Newsweek has reached out to Mayor Suarez’s office to clarify these issues. It had not responded by the time of publication.
“My administration stands ready to provide any assistance within our powers and resources,” Suarez wrote Trump. “With your assistance, I assure you that we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail in protecting our residents and prevailing against this viral pandemic.”
Suarez’s request follows yesterday’s statewide stay at home order issued by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the state reached more than 7,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Previous to DeSantis’ order, Florida was the only state with more than 5,000 cases that hadn’t yet implemented strict social distancing guidelines.
DeSantis’ order now puts Florida among the more than 30 other states that have implemented stay at home orders.
Suarez himself issued a stay at home order for all Miami residents on March 24 after he tested positive for coronavirus. His order allows residents to perform essential tasks like grocery shopping and prescription pick-up. Miami’s essential businesses have also remained open.
Florida came under widespread criticism for not closing its southern beaches before many students visited for spring break.
