Miami-Dade mayor reverses course, will allow gyms to stay open as COVID-19 cases rise
People in Miami-Dade County will still be able to hit the gym to regain their pre-pandemic bodies.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said gyms and fitness centers would remain open under an emergency order that will go into effect Wednesday as his response to a spike in the county’s COVID-19 cases, positive test rates, hospitalizations and intensive care unit bed usage.
He had originally said gyms would shut down.
This is the second mayoral moonwalk in the 24 hours since announcing the imminent closing of restaurant dining rooms, bars, gyms, fitness centers and short term rentals. Gimenez was going to put restaurants back under takeout and delivery only, then said Monday night that outdoor seating would be allowed.
As for gyms and fitness centers, Gimenez reversed himself Tuesday after what he called on Twitter “a very productive virtual meeting” with Miami-Dade medical experts and Miami-Dade’s Wellness Group.
“We arrived at a compromise to keep gyms & fitness studios open,” he tweeted. “All doing activities inside must wear a mask or do strenuous training outside staying 10 feet apart without a mask.”
Even before the gym reversal, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Monday’s action by Gimenez caught him by surprise and seemed impulsive.
“Our communities need a clear strategy for a sustainable path to recovery,” Suarez tweeted. “The decision making process should be transparent and driven by facts, not impulses. All leaders must communicate and collaborate more.”
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 12:33 PM.
