DeSantis gives go-ahead for Miami-Dade and Broward to reopen businesses Monday
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed off on plans for Miami-Dade and Broward counties to reopen restaurants and other businesses deemed non-essential, the governor announced Thursday at a press conference in Doral.
“Miami-Dade and Broward have both submitted plans that I’ve approved,” DeSantis said. “Today we take another important step for a very important part of the state of Florida.”
DeSantis indicated that he would authorize a 50% cap on capacity at Miami-Dade County restaurants, double the state’s current 25% cap. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez asked the governor to allow the 50% threshold as he plans to lift COVID-19 closure orders on most businesses Monday and allow restaurants to once again welcome customers into dining rooms that he ordered to empty on March 17.
“What they’re proposing will be authorized starting Monday,” DeSantis said.
After the event, Broward Mayor Dale Holness clarified the cryptic comments from DeSantis, and said the governor told local authorities that the 50% cap will be approved.
“He says we can do it, and he’ll announce that formally tomorrow,” Holness said.
The Doral event was short on specifics and long on hints by DeSantis, who also minimized the threat of COVID-19 on healthy people. Asked if he was ready to lift a statewide ban on gyms operating, DeSantis said an announcement on that would come Friday.
“This is a virus that, if you’re in good shape, you’re probably going to be okay. Why would we want to dissuade people from going to be in shape,” DeSantis said. “I think it’s really important that people have access to gyms and different exercise.”
Dr. Richard Sutton, a Yale professor who specializes in infectious diseases, said DeSantis was correct in stating people who are otherwise healthy are unlikely to face serious health consequences from coronavirus. For “young, healthy people ... the chances you’ll end up on a ventilator are low. But they’re not zero,” he said. “There are some notable exceptions.”
The pending orders are the latest efforts by DeSantis to boost consumer spending in a state economy crippled by sweeping closure orders, people fearing for their health if they venture into businesses allowed to open, and the anxiety caused by a global slowdown that’s sparking permanent business closures across South Florida and around the world.
The gubernatorial event at the mostly empty Downtown Doral shopping center included Gimenez and the mayor of Broward County, Holness. The adjoining counties are the last two in Florida with outstanding emergency orders closing dining rooms, and both have announced plans to lift those restrictions Monday.
“We’re now ready to start reviving our economy,” Gimenez said.
The event took place steps from the Dragonfly restaurant, which laid off 40 of its 45 employees once it was ordered to close its dining room in March, general manager Allen Auyong said. He’s not planning to reopen on Monday, despite the rules, saying his staff needs a few more days to get the restaurant ready.
“Fortunately we have a lot of covered space” outdoors, he said. “We’re going to focus on outdoor dining.”
Miami-Dade’s reopening plan released Wednesday included detailed draft rules that highlight how difficult it will be for businesses to fully recover after two months of closures, and the different world that awaits consumers when they choose to return to favorite establishments.
For shops, customers and workers must be turned away if capacity inside hits 50 percent. For hair salons and barber shops, customers must wait outside until a chair opens up inside.
Businesses must eliminate the use of water fountains, and clean bathrooms and elevators every two to three hours. Visitors and employees in office buildings are required to wear masks “while in the building,” the rules said.
Some of Miami-Dade’s largest cities, including Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah and Miami Gardens, won’t immediately allow restaurants and retailers to open Monday. Instead, they will allow many businesses to reopen next Wednesday, May 20, and restaurants about a week later.
The delayed reopenings have been a sore spot for Gimenez, a longtime foe of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Gimenez said the Miami Supercuts on U.S. 1 where he is a regular won’t be reopening Monday thanks to the city opting to keep non-essential businesses closed two days longer than Miami-Dade allows.
“My barbershop is going to be closed. I don’t know why,” Gimenez said. “It won’t be open because some city won’t let it open.”
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 12:35 PM.
