Local authorities on Saturday declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in Miami Beach, in the U.S. state of Florida, due to uncontrollable crowds that flocked there for spring break. 

Visitors must be off the street and restaurants will close their doors at 8:00 p.m. in South Beach, the epicenter of the city's nightlife, following an increase in violence and vandalism over recent days.

Three bridges connecting the island to mainland Miami will now be closed to traffic from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Only residents, workers and hotel guests will have access.

Florida has the third highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. behind California and Texas, with 2 million people infected, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

(With input from AFP)