Coronavirus: Two People Die In Miami After Attending A Festival In South Beach

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

This Tuesday confirmed the death in Miami of a second victim of coronavirus that was infected after attending a massive festival held in Miami Beach.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, through its official Facebook page, reported the death of Ron Rich, an esteemed community member and volunteer for the non-profit organization, who died this weekend of complications from COVID-19 and who at the beginning of the month helped with the Winter Party Festival.

"'They are going to put me on a fan,' was the last thing he wrote to me, and that was on Friday morning," said Vin Kruger, who considered the deceased as his best friend, speaking to Local-10 station in Miami.. "He was always there for me, he gave me comfort."

Ron was described as a "family face" of the organization that helped for years in different events including the mentioned festival where he would have contracted the virus. "We extend our condolences to his family and friends," he said in the post in his memory.

Before his death, the virus claimed the life of another attendee at that party: Cuban Israel Carrera, 40, who fell ill after attending the celebration and who died a week ago, according to multiple local sources.

Additionally, an unspecified "growing" number of people who attended the party have had flu-like symptoms, a possible indicator that they may have contracted the virus.

Rea Carey, director of the Winter Party Festival expressed her condolences in a tweet saying: "I am deeply saddened by the death of Israel Carrera … we have Israel and all those affected by COVID-19 in our hearts."

The festival draws hundreds of people to Miami's beaches, bars, and clubs:

The Winter Party Festival in South Beach is a festival for the gay lesbian community that takes place in various parts of the city between March 4 and 10. This event, like many others in that city of Florida, took place even when cities such as Seattle, San Francisco and New York declared quarantine and canceled all massive events.

Likewise, the controversy has grown because, in parallel, the Florida beaches that received hundreds of springbreakers despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic had already reached the United States and was already taking lives.

This was documented in a sadly famous video where youngsters from different states appeared celebrating the spring break and challenging the fearsome virus. The video has been viewed more than 23 million times.