Now that businesses in Miami-Dade are reopening, do you still need to wear a mask?
Haircuts. A trip to the museum. Lunch with your best friend.
It seems like life will start returning to normal Monday, as businesses across Miami-Dade prepare to reopen their doors after a two-month of COVID-19 shutdown.
But things will look different. There will be hand sanitizer everywhere and markings on the ground to help people stay at least six feet away from others. And some places will no longer be accepting walk-ins.
Oh, and you also still have to wear a mask or face covering everywhere you go — restaurants, airports, retail shops, offices, barber shops, salons, museums, warehouses. This goes for both employees and customers.
Basically, masks and face coverings are the new “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service.”
It’s all part of Miami-Dade’s “Yellow Flag” phase of its reopening plan, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said during a virtual town hall Friday afternoon. The county’s goal is to eventually bring life into “Phase Blue,” otherwise known as the “new normal” while limiting the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
And masks/face coverings play a big role in limiting the disease spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But not everyone needs to cover up.
There are a few exceptions to the county’s mask/face covering rules:
▪ If you’re at a restaurant, you can take the mask off once you’re seated at a table and are ready to eat. Once you’re finished eating, you have to put it back on before you leave the table.
▪ At barber shops and salons, customers can take off their face masks briefly for facial grooming services (beard/mustache, eyelashes, eyebrow, facial). However, the groomer or stylist also needs to wear a face shield.
▪ Naturally, you’ll also have to take the mask off if you’re visiting the dentist, orthodontist, or any other doctor who needs to examine or provide treatment to a part of your face that is covered by your mask. Doctors will also be wearing personal protective equipment.
▪ The county says children under 2, people who have trouble breathing because of a chronic pre-existing health condition and those who are engaged in “strenuous physical exercise” also do not need to wear a mask or facial covering.
For tips on what type of mask you should look for and how to properly wear one, visit https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242030421.html
