Broward extends curfew, adds new rules as county sees more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases
After Broward County saw more than 1,000 novel coronavirus cases Wednesday, the county’s nightly curfew has been extended by two days.
On Wednesday, Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry issued Emergency Order 20-23, which slightly extended the curfew and added additions and clarifications to existing coronavirus safety guidelines.
“Broward County reported 1,325 new COVID-19 cases today, an increase from 898 yesterday. Broward’s hospitals are nearing capacity. The numbers show it is still necessary to be vigilant,” the county said in a release.
On July 17, the county was be put under a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day until Aug. 1. The county’s newest emergency order extended the curfew end date to Monday, Aug. 3. The new order also added another exemption to the curfew for those going home after long road trips, specifically more than 100 miles away.
Those already exempt from the curfew are:
▪ Active-duty first responders
▪ News media workers
▪ Delivery or transportation drivers
▪ Government employees
▪ Healthcare and utility service personnel
▪ Those going to and from work
▪ People walking their pets within 250 feet of their home
The new order also clarified that residents are not required to wear face coverings in their home or are liable for guests violating facial covering rules.
Outdoor and open-air events are not allowed in the county unless a reopening or operating plan for them is submitted and approved by the county. The order also said that all establishments must have easily visible signage with virus safety guidelines in English, Creole and Spanish.
As of Wednesday, Broward County’s aggregate dashboard shows 6,313 complaints have been made about open businesses. Most of the complaints are about businesses not following sanitation requirements. More than 4,000 of the complaints are also “not substantiated.”
The dashboard also shows the county only has 16.1% available capacity at hospitals, 7.7% available capacity in adult ICUs, and 54.5% in available capacity at pediatric ICUs..
%20Cropped%20(2).jpg)