Editorial
To Risk or Not to Risk?
City of Miami Authorities Must Answer
The Ultra Music Festival has some passionate followers, but not quite in the league of soccer fans the world over. The Italian tifossi, “supporters,” stand among the most passionate, often transcending to hooliganism. Yet, Serie A, the Italian Professional Soccer League, postponed matches or played to empty stadiums to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus.
The Ultra Music Festival, on the other hand, seemed to sail smoothly to Bayfront Park, onboard bringing some 150 thousand concert-goers from 105 countries, until earlier Wednesday, March 4, when Mayor Suarez and Commissioner Joe Carollo called for postponing the event.
Previously, defending the City’s decision to give Ultra the green light, Mayor Suarez stated that City authorities were closely monitoring the evolution of the potential pandemic. It was added that better safety measures by the organizers have been put in place, mainly hand sanitizers around Bayfront Park.
It’s not a joke. Public health is not a joking matter.
Some Facts
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronavirus spreads mostly through person-to-person contact within about a 6-foot (1.8 meters) radius. People with COVID-19, which is the disease caused by the coronavirus, spread viral particles through coughing and sneezing. The particles can land in the mouths or noses of those around.
Harvard Health Blog indicates that it’s possible for the virus to be on frequently-touched surfaces, such as a doorknob or a counter, “although early information suggests viral particles would be likely to survive for just a few hours.”
A few hours in close proximity can be very dangerous. And maybe dangerous also to residents in the vicinity.
The Neighborhood
Downtown News asked Dr. Moises Irizarry, a local physician: Does Ultra Music Festival, which attracts concert-goers from 105 countries, including Europe and Asia, pose a risk of spreading the virus to residents living in buildings adjacent to Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami?
Dr. Irizarry: There is always a risk, especially with a large event such as this one, but only because of the unpredictable presentation of the virus. The virus can be transmitted during its incubation period, meaning ‘before it presents symptoms’. That alone should not make us paranoid, but quite wary.
Why the Risk?
In a letter to the Miami Herald Editor, March 4, John S. Schwartz, calls the decision by the city to give Ultra the green light despite the coronavirus “gross negligence — fueled by greed.”
Luckily, our elected officials will announce in a press conference scheduled for Friday, March 6, that reason has prevailed, and the 2020 Ultra Music Festival in Bayfront Park, downtown Miami, has been canceled.
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