Miami-Dade Restaurants, Businesses Brace For Coronavirus Rollback

MIAMI, FL — Miami-area restaurants and other businesses are bracing for what will now be Thursday's reopening rollback following a string of record-setting spikes, an uptick in hospitalizations and a positive coronavirus test rate that has more than doubled over the past few weeks in Florida's most populous county. The order had initially been expected to take effect on Wednesday but was postponed by a a day.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered restaurants in the Miami area to halt indoor dining starting Thursday though restaurants can still offer outdoor seating for up to four people at a table with "appropriate distancing, and music played at a level that does not require shouting to prevent the emission of potentially dangerous airborne droplets."

People can also order takeout or delivery but they won't be able to use indoor dining rooms.

"It's unfortunate that the way they do business means that the people have to take off their masks," Gimenez told reporters Tuesday during a press conference with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Miami. "Taking off your mask in an interior space, according to our experts, it's dangerous because the virus spreads as people talk."

Gimenez left open condominium and hotel swimming pools with social distancing and mask rules. He also left open summer camps and child day care centers with capacity limits, mask requirements and social distancing of at least 6 feet.

Miami-Dade County beaches reopened Tuesday after being shut down for the Fourth of July weekend to stem the rising tide of the illness.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez who leads Miami-Dade's largest city, said he was caught off guard by the new order.

"Our communities need a clear strategy for a sustainable path to recovery," said Suarez who had the coronavirus, but recovered from the illness. "The decision-making process should be transparent and driven by facts, not impulses. All leaders must communicate and collaborate more."

Miami-Dade residents already are required to wear masks at all indoor and outdoor public spaces. They also have been under a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly curfew, which will continue.

Gimenez' latest order also drew criticism from Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo, Jr.

"I understand the growing concerns over the uptick in coronavirus numbers in our community, yet to further stranglehold small businesses — a second time — is unacceptable," Bovo said. "Like many, I am greatly worried about the impact these confusing closure announcements will have on our economic recovery long term. Our local businesses have incurred great financial cost in protecting their staff and customers alike by investing in products that are now no longer necessary because of these closures."

Gimenez said restaurants are not being punished for doing something wrong though some restaurant owners have been warned or temporarily shut down for mask and social distancing violations.

"It's just the nature of the business and the number of people and the percentages that we have in Miami-Dade," Gimenez said. "The percentages are in that restaurant, somebody — one, two, three, four people — may have COVID-19 and may be spreading it. That's why it's OK to do it outside. They can have outdoor dining."

The mayor also ordered ballrooms and banquet halls to close, including those in hotels. He also halted short-term property rentals throughout the county.

Gimenez initially planned to also close gyms but changed his mind after speaking with industry representatives.

"In terms of the gym, we came up with a compromise," Gimenez said. "Now, people when they go in a gym, they must wear their mask all the time. If they have to do something strenuous then they have to do it outdoors. So the gyms are going to remain open but under a new set of rules."

Gimenez said he plans to keep the order in place until the county's positivity rate falls to 5 percent based on Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

"We right now are running at a positivity rate of over 20 percent," he said. "One of the reasons I've asked, 'please keep your mask on' is so we can start to reduce the positivity rate."

To report violations of the county's emergency orders, call 305-4-POLICE.