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It’s official: Miami-Dade County’s public parks, marinas and golf courses will reopen on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.
Mayor Carlos Giménez made the announcement this afternoon during a live press conference at the soon-to-be-open Tropical Park.
The phase one plan he’s outlined to ease restrictions, most of which we covered here, comes with its own set of health regulations and social-distancing practices—such as one-way trails, dedicated opening times for seniors to take walks and rules for competitive play. For instance, single-player tennis will be allowed but soccer and contact sports will not. Similarly, basketball courts will reopen and may be used for up to three players, each with their own ball. Dog parks, playgrounds, picnic tables, outdoor exercise equipment and skate parks will remain closed.
To ensure compliance, the county has hired hundreds of out-of-work security guards from places such as Hard Rock Stadium and AmericanAirlines Arena as well as school crossing guards to patrol public spaces. Residents not following the new ordinance will be asked to leave and those who resist will face a $500 fine or possible jail time. "We will have a zero-tolerance policy," emphasized Giménez. Folks on the water can also expect to see an increase in coast guards and police monitoring the shoreline.
While the order recommends that it’s safe for parks to reopen, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all public areas in the county will follow suit. "The order allows cities to open their parks but each municipality may have tougher rules, or they may decide not to open certain parts," said the mayor, who plans to sign and post the order on Monday evening. Broward and Palm Beach counties are following suit and also easing restrictions on Wednesday.
To see which parks are open or if your neighborhood public space falls within the most recent ordinance, check out miamidade.gov/coronavirus.
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