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

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

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.