Miami-Dade will let restaurant dining rooms reopen Aug. 31 after nearly two months of emergency closures to fight the spread of COVID-19, loosening the rules as the county’s infection rate hovers near the red-line level of 10%, according to people briefed on the pending change.
The move by Mayor Carlos Gimenez follows pressure from city leaders, restaurant owners and others. Hours before Gimenez made his announcement, Hialeah’s mayor declared he would order city police to stop enforcing county restrictions that since July 9 have banned most indoor dining at commercial establishments.
Gimenez’s decision, shared with city mayors and restaurant owners in private calls Tuesday, sets up another test for Miami-Dade as it recovers from its second surge in COVID cases. After using emergency powers to shut down businesses declared non-essential in March, Gimenez allowed most to reopen in May and June.
Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.
