Tag: lawyer

Florida Leads the Nation in New Covid-19 Cases

by dvega007, posted in Covid-19, GRLaw General

It seems that Florida is leading the United States in new cases of Covid-19. This past Saturday and Sunday saw 3,494 and 4,049 new cases respectively; with 21,723 new cases from Sunday to Sunday, the highest in a one-week period since the Covid-19 pandemic started. Governor Ron DeSantis attributes the sudden spike in cases to more widely available tests. South Florida also holds 54% of the state’s Covid-19 related fatalities, totaling 1,725. Nationwide there have been nearly 2.3 million cases with nearly 120,000 deaths.

What precautions can i take?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing a cloth facial covering in circumstances where social distancing is difficult to maintain such as in a grocery or a pharmacy. This is particularly important given that people may be asymptomatic (lacking any symptoms) and may be unknowingly spreading Covid-19. Please visit the CDC website for more information.

What this means for me and my business?

With all of this uncertainty and increased rate of people contracting Covid-19, you may be worried how it will affect your business which has reopened in part due to the passing of Phase 1 and Phase 2. Whether you are a landlord or hotel/motel owner who recently rented your property and is concerned they may seek a refund to a store owner who is concerned about the effects of customers not maintaining adequate social distancing; the attorneys at G&R Law are able to assist you in ensuring your business is one step closer to recovery.  G&R Law will work with you during these trying times and within your financial means to help you and your business recover from the effects of Covid-19.

Please click on the link to contact G&R Law to set up your free of charge telephonic or video appointment

Stay safe during these trying times.

David Vega, Esq.

Protests over death of George Floyd spill out into Miami and Broward

by dvega007, posted in Covid-19, GRLaw General

On May 25, 2020, Memorial Day, George Floyd died while in police custody. Office Derek Chauvin was charged with third degree murder and second degree manslaughter in his death, only after a series of protests took place in Minneapolis. Recommended sentencing guidelines are 12 1/2 years for the charge of third degree murder and 4 years for the second degree manslaughter charge. A series of protests has hence been sparked throughout the country, including major cities such as New York, D.C., Houston, Portland and even Miami.

Curfew in Effect

Saturday and Sunday saw mass protests, a blockage of I-95 and rampant looting throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County. A curfew was in effect Saturday night, May 30, 2020, commencing at 10:00 p.m. On Sunday, May 31, 2020, a curfew was in effect from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. The curfew could likely be extended further if warranted.

EFFECT OF PROTESTS ON COVID-19 QUARANTINE

Due to the protests which occurred over the weekend; Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez issued a statement on May 21, 2020, in which he decided to postpone the opening of the beaches until the curfew order is lifted. “In addition, I will be updating the emergency order to extend the hours of the curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective Sunday, May 31st, until the order is lifted. Cities can have stricter rules. For instance, the City of Miami curfew begins at 8 p.m.” Apartment pools, private pools and condominium/home owner association managed pools may open June 1, 2020.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ME?

With all of this unrest and added uncertainty, you may be worried how it will affect your business. Whether you are a landlord or hotel/motel owner who recently rented your property to vacationers who may now be seeking a refund due to the beaches not reopening on June 1, 2020 as initially intended or whether your business was attacked and looted; the attorneys at G&R Law are able to assist you in ensuring your business is one step closer to recovery.  G&R Law will work with you during these trying times and within your financial means to help you and your business recover from the effects of any violent protesters and Covid-19.

Please click on the link to contact G&R Law and set up your free of charge telephonic or video appointment.

Stay safe during these trying times.

David Vega, Esq.

Summer is Here and the Beaches of Miami-Dade County and Hotels of Miami Beach are Re-opening Amid Covid-19 with some New Guidelines

Featured by dvega007, posted in Covid-19

With summer in full form, Miami-Dade County has been lagging behind other counties in Florida when it came to re-opening its beaches. Many Miami-Dade County natives even resorted to travelling to other counties like Collier to obtain some relief from the heat and enjoy the beach and ocean-side hotels and motels. This is all about to change commencing June 1, 2020.

Miami-Dade County Re-opens Beaches June 1, 2020

Beachgoers come Wednesday, June 1, 2020, will be allowed to enter the beaches so long as they are wearing face masks. They may remove the face masks if they are in the water or maintain social distance. People will be allowed to sunbathe, jog, walk and rent concessions and beach chairs. However, groups of 10 or more people will not be allowed to congregate. Police and beach ambassadors will be posted along the beach to ensure compliance.

Miami Beach Hotels will also be opening June 1, 2020

The City of Miami Beach will also be allowing for hotels to open commencing June 1, 2020. Again, while face masks and social distancing must be maintained; it remains to be seen whether there will be compliance. Hotel and motel owners may be fined and also potentially liable to any patrons who contract Covid-19 if they did not ensure that precautions such as social distancing were enforced as to all patrons.

How these changes may affect my business?

With these changes taking place in the next few days, you may be worried how it will affect your business. Whether you are a landlord seeking to rent your property for a few days or a hotel or motel owner concerned about the ramifications of not adequately enforcing social distancing in your place of business; the attorneys at G&R Law are able to assist you in reviewing the new protocols to ensure your business is in compliance with the New Normal Guidelines.  G&R Law will work with you during these trying times and within your financial means to help you and your business recover from Covid-19.

Please click on the link to contact G&R Law to set up your free of charge telephonic or video appointment.

Stay safe during these trying times.

David Vega, Esq.

Miami-Dade County to Re-Open Today Under the New Normal Guidelines

Featured by dvega007, posted in Covid-19, GRLaw General

On May 18, 2020, Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez is set to commence reopening Miami-Dade County and allow non-essential business to re-open under new stringent guidelines. Part of this plan includes a color flag identification system designed to show the status of the continuum of the new normal.

RED: Most stringent closures; only essential businesses open; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place;

ORANGE: Parks and open spaces open; preparations taking place to reopen other sectors with strict capacity requirements in place; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place;

YELLOW: Limited opening of non-essential businesses and other facilities; strict capacity requirements in place; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place;

GREEN: More expansive opening of businesses and facilities; capacity requirements expanded; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place;

BLUE: New Normal is in place; all businesses and facilities open; social distancing and facial coverings encouraged.

Business that choose to open must follow some of the following strict requirements:

  • Facial coverings must be worn at all times when social distancing is not possible;
  • Employees must stay 6 feet away from each other;
  • Common access points such as doors, handles, light switches and elevator buttons must be sanitized;
  • Bathrooms must be sanitized every two to three hours;
  • Virtual meetings are encouraged and employees are urged to work from home if possible;
  • CDC signage on “Stop the Spread of Germs” must be posted in the workplace and employees must be trained in new operating procedures to deal with Covid-19 issues.

For a more exhaustive list of requirements and suggestions, please see The New Normal, A Guide for Residents and Commercial Establishments.

Some Concerns Moving forward under the new normal

Moving forward during these new strange and challenging times, some valid concerns are raised. For example, according to The New Normal, any business establishment which has an employee or contractor test positive for Covid-19 must close for the shorter of 14 days or the time it would take to have every employee tested and the business sanitized. Specific guidelines also exist for retail and small business. Also, staggered employee breaks, having a single point of entry and queues to pay at a cashier are strongly recommended. Merchandise that has been tried on must not be returned to shelves for 24 hours or until it has been properly sanitized.

Restaurants are also imposing special requirements to ensure that servers must maintain their masks on, social distancing markers must be placed on the ground, menus must be disposable and indoor restaurants must not operate at more than 50% capacity.

The attorneys at G&R Law are able to assist you in reviewing the new protocols of your business to ensure you are in compliance with the New Normal Guidelines.  G&R Law will work with you during these trying times and within your financial means to help you and your business recover from Covid-19.

Please click on the link to contact G&R Law and set up your free of charge telephonic or video appointment. 

Stay safe during these trying times. 

David Vega, Esq.