Given the unstoppable increase of COVID-19 cases in Florida, local authorities will close public spaces starting this Wednesday and the curfew will be maintained indefinitely.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez announced this Monday that restaurants will be closed as of Wednesday until further notice, including outdoor service―not takeaways―, bars, gyms, clubs and apartments for rent.
The curfew is still in effect from 10 pm to 6 am. The beaches, closed last weekend, will be reopened on Tuesday. But “but, if we see crowding and people not following the public health rules, I will be forced to close the beaches again,” warned the mayor.
For their part, private and public spaces continue operating, but with restrictions such as the compulsory use of masks, social distancing and the limit of attendees.
“I am signing an emergency order that will close restaurants (except for takeout and delivery services), along with ballrooms, banquet facilities, party venues, gyms and fitness centers, and short-term rentals,” said Giménez in a press release.
The mayor is also going to keep summer camps and child daycare centers with strict capacity limits, requiring masks and social distancing.
Retail stores and grooming services will remain open, “for now,” the release said.
City officials backed down to the reopening of South Florida when the Department of Health revealed that this Sunday there were 6,336 new cases of coronavirus after on Friday and Saturday there had been more than 10,000 cases, for a total of 203,376 patients. The dead now total 3,778. In Florida, the total to date is 48,992 infections since they started being registered in March.
The area was partially reopened two weeks ago but, according to authorities, the population did not comply with the confinement measures and cases of coronavirus increased.