It looks like life in the City of Miami Beach might go back to normal(ish) sooner rather than later.
RECOMMENDED: Miami-Dade County just announced it will reopen public parks, marinas and golf courses
This morning, City Manager Jimmy L. Morales shared a memo announcing phase one of a reopening plan that would allow restaurants, retail stores, gyms, salons and museums to operate once more. In addition to adhering to the social-distancing guidelines already in place (such as the compulsory use of masks and facial coverings while in public), businesses will need to operate at a much lower capacity and increase cleaning and disinfection.
So what might these special guidelines look like? Restaurants will only be allowed to offer open-air seating, operate at 50-percent capacity and tables will need to be six feet apart, plus no more than 10 people will be allowed in gyms at a time. The specifics for retail businesses are still being discussed by city officials. It should be noted that Miami Beach will need to follow the county’s lead for all forthcoming restrictions.
The date for reopening is still TBD: Phase one will not go into effect until the number of active COVID cases drops for a consecutive 14 days. According to the data shared by Miami Herald reporter Martin Vassolo, it doesn’t look like this will happen before mid- to late-May, which is still sooner than the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s estimated June 8 date to ease social restrictions.
Here are the numbers for the last 14 days. So no reopening yet. pic.twitter.com/4Tfz1ewZRi
— Martin Vassolo (@martindvassolo) April 24, 2020
The memo also mentions plans to reopen marinas, parks and golf courses, which will follow the county’s phase-one strategy announced earlier this week. Beachfront areas like Lummus Park and South Pointe Park are among the outdoor places we should see reopen soon. While it may not give us access to the water, we’re eager for the opportunity to (legally) stand just a little closer to the shoreline than before.
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