- Title: Miami-Dade to shut restaurants, gyms again as Florida coronavirus cases surge
- Date: 6th July 2020
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESTAURANT PATRON, VLADAN, SAYING: "I mean, if they have to close it, they're going to close it, so if that's going to help to stop spreading the virus, then they should close it. But I think that they don't know what's going on with this virus." FAMILY ENTERING RESTAURANT VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CIGAR SHOP MENSWEAR STORE MANAGER STANDING ON SIDEWALK WITH MASK (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHNNY CARDONA, MENSWEAR STORE MANAGER, SAYING: "And having these restaurants close up - who knows? We might get locked up for another three months. What's going to happen to these business owners? We don't know. It's very scary." VARIOUS OF SIDEWALK LINED WITH BUSINESSES IN LITTLE HAVANA NEIGHBORHOOD / WOMAN WEARING MASK SITTING ON CHAIR
- Embargoed: 20th July 2020 19:56
- Keywords: Florida shutting businesses Little Havana Miami-Dade County coronavirus spoke emergency order on-site dining
- Location: MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- City: MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA003CLOALON
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mayor Carlos Gimenez of Florida's Miami-Dade County, which currently has some 48,000 COVID-19 cases, issued an emergency order on Monday (July 6) shutting down on-site dining at restaurants and closing ballrooms, banquet facilities, party venues, gyms and fitness centers, and short-term rentals.
"We can tamp down the spread if everyone follows the rules, wears masks and stays at least six feet (2 meters) apart from others. I am counting on you, our 2.8 million residents, to stop the spread so that we can get back to opening our economy," Gimenez said in a statement.
Tourist traffic was light in the usually bustling Little Havana neighborhood in Miami as local restaurants struggle to balance their businesses' survival against the safety of their employees and guests.
One local diner said he supported the mayor's decision to have restaurants close up shop for awhile.
"If that's going to help to stop spreading the virus, then they should close it," said Vladan. "But I think that they don't know what's going on with this virus."
A local store manager said he feared what kind of impact the order would have on businesses.
"What's going to happen to these business owners? We don't know. It's very scary," said Johnny Cardona.
Nationally, cases are approaching 3 million, by far the highest tally in the world and double the infections reported in Brazil, the world's second most-affected country.
Florida confirmed a record high 11,000 new cases in a single day, more than any European country reported in a day at the height of the crisis there.
Gimenez imposed an indefinite nightly curfew in Miami-Dade County on Friday (July 3) and halted the reopenings of entertainment venues such as casinos and strip clubs.
(Production: Liza Feria, Kevin Fogarty, Vanessa Johnston) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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