After governor Ron DeSantis announcement that the state would be entering phase 3 of reopening, he said South Florida may be doing things a little differently, and it definitely is.
On Tuesday, Miami-Dade mayor Carlos Gimenez said that he met with local medical experts, as well as White house doctors, to discuss the reopening plans.
Mask mandates and social distancing orders will remain in place. Fines and citations will still be given out, but payment won't be collected until the governor's order of suspending these fines expires. Gimenez said this is not about collecting money for the county, but about keeping the public safe.
"Just because we can open up more businesses, doesn't mean we can relax the public health rules that have gotten us to this place," he said.
For restaurants, bars, and any business with a food service license, that violate the 50% capacity or other new normal guidelines will be fined, and those fines can be collected immediately under the governor's orders. If restaurants can keep tables 6 feet apart and get to 100% capacity, they are allowed to do so, Gimenez said.
People can't be crowded around bar counters and must be seated if they're eating or drinking. The noise level will also remain capped at a certain decibel so people don't have to raise their voice or yell to communicate.
The county will allow some organized sports and leagues with certain rules that will be similar to Broward County's.
Adult day cares will also reopen with strict rules to keep seniors safe.
"The message today is clear, we're not out of the woods yet. We all have to be socially responsible," he said.
If cases do spike in the future Gimenez said that the county can take other measures to combat this, but would have to get permission from DeSantis to change anything about dining.
The 11:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew will remain in place. With the Miami Heat going to the finals against the Lakers, the mayor said it's safer to watch and celebrate any wins at home, rather than taking to the streets with pots and pans in typical Miami fashion.
"Remember, they're playing in the bubble precisely because that's keeping those players safe."
