Local authorities urge residents to be cautious during Thanksgiving

DORAL, FL – Miami-Dade Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, the new County Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Peter Paige, and other county, city, business and health leaders urge residents to follow CDC guidelines to avoid the spread of COVID-19 during Thanksgiving. 

In a recent news conference, Levine Cava and Dr. Paige, who became the county’s first Chief Medical Officer this week as a response to a possible third wave of COVID-19 within Miami-Dade, made recommendations of how to avoid a new spike of cases during the upcoming celebrations.

Dr. Paige encouraged people to host family virtual gatherings as much as possible or limit capacity and keep social distancing if they decide to host in-person meetings. He advised only including immediate household members or gather outside in those cases. 

“The weather is so beautiful this time of year, so take advantage of that,” said Dr.Paige, as reported by Local 10 News.

Dr. Peter Paige, who belongs to Jackson Health System, also reminded people to “keep their guard up” while traveling and even after arriving to their destination, and to wear masks all the time regardless of where they are spending the holidays. 

About this, CBS4 Miami reported that even though health officials have advised against non-essential travel because of the spike, Miami International Airport is seeing an increase in travelers.

“Traffic is up, which in many ways is a good thing, it shows that people want to visit us. But as we continue to see the increase, which we expect to see throughout the week, we must continue to be hyper-vigilant,” said the Mayor.

“MIA is asking all passengers to comply with all the social distancing, masking and other requirements. And we also ask you to please be careful, and get tested before and after you travel. That is good practice.”

The Mayor, on the other hand, stated the New Normal guidelines approved by former Mayor Carlos Gimenez remains in place at the moment.

Additionally, she provided peace of mind to those who are struggling economically by confirming free meals will still be provided for seniors, as well as hotel rooms for those who need to quarantine. If interested, call 311 to inquire about the meals or hotel stays.

Other local authority who has expressed concerns about Thanksgiving celebrations is Miami Beach Mayor, Dan Gelber, who announced that police and code enforcement will be once again issuing citations for those caught not wearing their mask in public.

“Now is definitely not the time to let up,” Gelber said. “We need to lean into these protective measures now more than ever to have a Happy Thanksgiving.”

Most Miami-Dade County’s coronavirus testing sites will be open on Thanksgiving from 7:30 until 1 p.m. Check your local testing site to make sure it will be opened for the holiday.