On Monday, August 31, commercial casinos in Miami-Dade County, Florida reopened for the second time, under certain restrictions. The gaming halls, which were forced to close in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, originally started reopening in May and June. Then a spike in infections forced them to close back down.
County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez signed an order August 28 that brought casinos back, after a consultation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said on a conference call, “Stay the course.”
Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University, said reopening casinos and indoor dining is still risky for patrons and staff. “My perspective on this is if we do it, we have to have such strong messaging to the community that we’re not doing this because it’s totally safe,” she told the Miami Herald. “We’re doing this because it’s an economic need. We need you to really follow the guidelines.”
Restaurants may open their dining rooms at 50 percent capacity with no more than six people at a table. People must wear masks when not eating or drinking. Restaurants are also “required to run their HVAC systems with the fans on while people are in the establishment,” the county declared. “In addition, doors must be propped open and windows must also be open to maximize the circulation of fresh air.”
Indoor dining was curtailed in Miami-Dade in early July amid a spike of Covid-19 infections, reported MSN.
