Miami Prepares to Reopen on May 18th with Pending Approval

Miami-Dade prepares to reopen with a Phase I policy on Monday, May 18, 2020. A New Normal Guide has been prepared and submitted to Governor Ron DeSantis for the state's review. If Governor DeSantis approves the plan, certain non-essential businesses will be allowed to reopen with stringent capacity and safety rules in place.

This planning was done in close consultation with medical and industry experts and government partners, and is laid out in detail in the guide. This information is being provided preliminarily to help businesses and residents plan ahead, but there could still be revisions as we clarify in greater detail what can and cannot open and what services can and cannot be provided.

The draft guide includes specific industry protocols for Retail, Small Businesses, Personal Grooming Businesses, Arts and Culture, Manufacturing, Office Buildings and Shopping Centers, Warehousing/Trade and Logistics, and Restaurants. It also includes protocols for hotels, motels and other commercial lodging establishments. In addition, it specifies that the following will NOT be opening at this time, but at a future date, when conditions warrant: bars, pubs, night clubs, banquet halls, cocktail lounges, cabarets, and breweries; movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys, arcades, gymnasiums and fitness studios; pools, hot tubs and fitness centers, gymnasiums, whether of a commercial or non-commercial nature; tattoo shops and massage parlors. 

All of the Working Groups’ recommendations have been approved by doctors and medical experts from the Florida Department of Health, Jackson Health System, U-Health, and the infectious disease experts at Florida International University and the University of Miami. Medical experts have been involved every step of the way in this process, which also included input from the Miami-Dade League of Cities.

The guide, which includes a color-coded system that details when openings can occur can be downloaded here.

By Miami Living Staff, Miami-Dade Gov.