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iami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez signed Emergency Order 28-20 on Friday, August 28, 2020, to allow for indoor dining and for casino re-openings, with limited capacity. This order took effect today, August 31, 2020.
Indoor dining and casinos were curtailed in Miami-Dade in early July amid a spike of COVID-19 infections, after having initially reopened a month before.
As announced by the mayor, strict adherence to the New Normal Guidelines continues, including social distancing and the use of facial coverings when not eating or drinking.
Under Order 28-20 casinos are no longer listed among the non-essential businesses that must remain closed. Therefore, casinos will be allowed to re-open on Monday, August 31, with limited capacity following the same New Normal rules they previously followed, but adding the restriction that consumption of food and beverages can only happen in areas designated for eating. At the gaming tables and slot machines, there will be strict prohibition of food and drinks.
The limited re-opening of indoor dining and casinos was done in consultation with Miami-Dade County’s public health experts, with new, more stringent guidelines to maximize the safety of patrons and staff, the official press release says.
In addition, hospital reporting will be reduced to once a day, per Amendment 4 to Emergency Order 18-20.
The casino shutdown had not affected tribal-owned casinos, Local 10 News reports.
Miami-Dade County has had more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other county in Florida but has recently gotten its positivity rate under 10%.
Positivity from Thursday’s tests was at 7.65%, and the county has a 7-day positivity rate of 8.2% and a 14-day positivity of 9.3%, according to Friday’s data from the state health department.
