Patrons may resume eating inside restaurants again, starting on Aug. 31, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced Tuesday. Though owners of eateries will rejoice, they will still be restricted in the number of diners they may serve indoors because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has strangled commerce since mid-March.
“While we are heading in the right direction,” said Gimenez about falling hospitalization rates for COVID-19 cases, “we are not out of the woods.”
Gimenez said he consulted with local medical experts and a White House task force before making his decision.
Restaurants may serve diners inside but only at 50% capacity. The maximum number of people allowed to be seated at tables, whether indoors or outside, where restaurants have raised tents and tables to supplement service, is six.
Guests will be required to wear masks until their food or drinks are served and while walking around a restaurant. Bars will remain closed until further notice.
One of those happy restauranteurs was Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, a partner in The Mayor’s Café in town.
"Today is a good day for the hospitality industry, which employs tens of thousands of people in Miami-Dade County,” Cid said.
“The vast majority of these workers cannot telecommute to work and many lost their jobs due to government-mandated closures."
There are 60 restaurants in Miami Lakes alone.
“We need to methodically continue reopening our economy in a safe manner," Cid said.
Eddie Blanco, chair of the Miami Lakes Economic Development Committee, agreed.
"I am happy to hear that the restaurants are reopening," Blanco said. "We need to get back to normal and allow our businesses to open. I look forward to enjoying my favorite indoor spots soon."
Mayor Gimenez said restaurant owners must have their air conditioning on at all times and if possible, open all windows and doors for extra ventilation and to prevent transmission of the highly contagious virus which has taken the lives of 2,277 residents in the county.
The county curfew of 10 p.m. will remain in effect and Gimenez said he will revisit whether to keep it in place after the three-day Labor Day weekend.
“I have no intention of closing the beaches for the holiday weekend,” said Gimenez. There will be additional personnel at beaches and in cities to make sure everyone is complying with social distancing rules.
Gimenez said he hopes beach-goers comply to avoid another spike in cases of COVID-19.
“If we all do what we need to do, keep our mask on, keep our social distancing, wash our hands, we won’t see this spike,” said Gimenez.
“We will need to wear our masks for the foreseeable future.”