As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Miami-Dade announces new closures

DORAL, FL – Miami-Dade announces new closures in response to the COVID-19 rising positive cases throughout Florida. From Wednesday, July 8, new venues will be closed in the county.

According to a statement released Monday morning, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez will be signing a new emergency order, effective this Wednesday, 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, among other venues included in the order.

Outdoor venues, that were crowded during the fourth of July weekend, will remain opened with strict social distancing, masks and capacity rules. The Mayor refers to condominium and hotel pools, summer camps and child daycare centers. 

Beaches, on the other hand, will be open on Tuesday, July 7, with the possibility of closing them back again if people misbehave. 

“If we see crowding and people not following the public health rules, I will be forced to close the beaches again,” reads the statement.

Office buildings, retail stores and grooming services will remain open for now, and the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Countywide curfew will remain in force with exceptions for essential workers and for people who have a religious obligation.

“We want to ensure that our hospitals continue to have the staffing necessary to save lives,” said the Mayor taking into account the concerning spike in COVID-19 cases. As of Monday, July 6, 6,336 additional cases  and 47 new deaths in the state were confirmed by Florida’s Department of Health for a total of 206,447 cases and a death toll of 3,778.

According to the Mayor, the county is tracking the spike in the number of cases involving 18- to 34-year-olds that began in mid-June, which the County’s medical experts say was caused, among other things, because young people attended congested places without taking the necessary precautions such as wearing face masks or practicing social distancing. 

The situation got to a point that City of Miami and later Miami-Dade County had to create emergency orders in the recent weeks to force people to wear face coverings while in public in an effort to tamp down the spread. 

“Contributing to the positives in that age group, the doctors have told me, were graduation parties, gatherings at restaurants that turned into packed parties in violation of the rules and street protests where people could not maintain social distancing and where not everyone was wearing facial coverings,” adds Mayor Carlos Gimenez. 

For all this, his recommendation and that of Florida’s leaders and health authorities is to follow basic rules such as wearing a face mask, staying at least six feet apart from other and remaining home as much as possible. 

“I am counting on you, our 2.8 million residents, to stop the spread so that we can get back to opening our economy,” concludes the Mayor in his statement where he also encourages people to report violations to COVID-19 public safety rules by calling 305-4-POLICE.

To read the full statement, click here.