All but essential retail in Miami-Dade to be closed under upcoming Gimenez order
Miami-Dade will see an even larger chunk of its economy shutter this week as Mayor Carlos Gimenez plans to order broad closures of shops, salons, malls, private colleges and other businesses deemed “non-essential” in a rapidly escalating effort to contain the coronavirus.
NOTE: For an updated list of businesses closed and allowed to remain open, read our more recent story on this topic.
The broader measures Gimenez previewed in a Twitter post Wednesday afternoon shift from a targeted effort to reduce gatherings to more of a blanket closure decree with limited exceptions. Late Wednesday, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in a Facebook post the county decree would also close all beaches.
“Our hope,” Gelber wrote, “is that these extraordinary measures will bring a swifter end to the impact of this deadly virus.”
Gimenez ordered restaurants and bars closed at 11 p.m. Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning barred gatherings of more than 10 people in county parks. “You cannot have a party in a park,” Gimenez said in a video message broadcast from his home, where’s he in self-isolation after a possible COVID-19 exposure on March 9.
As St. Patrick’s Day parties rolled along at local bars and restaurants on Tuesday, his office issued a warning that violating emergency orders constitutes a crime.
“It’s worrisome people are not heeding the warnings,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban “Steve” Bovo, who said he spoke with Gimenez earlier in the day about the pending order.
Skipping the usual practice of a video address, Gimenez’s office used the mayor’s Twitter account to preview the upcoming emergency rules. While no details were offered, an administration official said the closure decree would apply to some offices and other businesses not tied to essential services.
Exemptions include hotels, grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and government buildings. The list of exemptions could be longer once the order is released later on Wednesday. The administration expects the new rules to take effect sometime Thursday, and it could be as late as Thursday evening.
There’s a lag between Gimenez deciding on new enforcement action and county lawyers drafting the language for him to sign under a declaration of emergency the mayor issued March 12 for the coronavirus pandemic.
Linked to a similar statewide emergency decree issued by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this month, the county order expires Thursday. Gimenez said he would sign another seven-day order, extending his emergency powers through next week.
At 4:59 p.m., Gimenez said on Twitter: “I will be issuing a comprehensive executive order that, among other things, will restrict or close non-essential retail, private educational facilities, casinos and other recreational and entertainment activities.”
The expanding closure order puts more pressure on employers to trim payroll and add to what’s expected to be an unprecedented surge of layoff notices in the coming days.
Most malls have already announced plans to close during the coronavirus emergency. Sawgrass Mills, Dadeland and Aventura malls planned to shut down by 7 p.m. Wednesday.
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 7:11 PM.