Miami Beach hotels are aiming to reopen by June 1, as the City of Miami Beach is prepares to safely welcome back residents and visitors to locales that had previously closed their doors in our collective effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. On May 22, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and his senior staff met virtually with the mayors and city managers of all of Miami-Dade County’s coastal municipalities and together agreed of a target date of June 1.
Following Miami-Dade County Mayor’s May 15, 2020 issuance of County Emergency Order 23-20, the city has begun to implement its phased reopening—permitting certain retail and commercial establishments, restaurants and sidewalk cafe’s, subject to the social distancing requirements in County EO 23-20 and the city’s Phase 1 Reopening Emergency Order.
The city has launched a website, which details the mandatory guidelines by industry. The site currently has information with Phase 1A and Phase 1B guidelines; additional guidelines will be coming soon.
Additionally, Ocean Drive is now closed to vehicular traffic to allow restaurants in Phase 1B to extend their footprint—allowing for additional capacity. It also offers an opportunity for residents and visitors to walk or cycle this iconic street.
Hotels Reopening
Though, currently the Miami Beach site says hotels are not currently permitted to operate, it does list out all mandatory requirements for when they do reopen. Under the guidelines, swimming pools, hot tubs, bars, banquet halls, fitness studios, gyms, and recreational areas fro children within hotel properties must remain closed per County Emergency Order 20-20.
The guideline also states that all persons working or visiting an establishment, including but not limited to airports, seaports, and mass transit facilities and vehicles, must wear a facial covering.
Other additional guidelines include:
- Guests must follow the social distancing and facial covering, and PPE guidelines as defined by the Emergency Orders, the CDC, and th Occupational Safety and Heal Administration guidelines.
- Hotels should provide hand sanitizer or wiles in each guestroom for guests to use.
- Visual markers will be used to implement 6 ft. of separation.
- Hand sanitizers will be placed at entry points throughout the property
- Entrance and Exit areas will have trash containers for face masks and other PPE equipment
- Bathrooms will be cleaned and disinfected every 2-3 hours.
- Facilities must be cleaned each night including a through disinfection of all frequent high touch points
- The use of water fountains and interactive displays will be eliminated
- Elevator occupancy will be limited to ease social distancing, and markings on the elevator floor will indicate where patrons should stand to keep 3 ft. apart while wearing face coverings. Elevator buttons will be sanitized at least once per hour.
- If possible, hand sanitizer or paper towels will be placed on each floor, near the elevators so that guests can avoid directly touching the common areas, or clean their hands if they touch a common area.
- Valet will not be an option for guests where onsite parking is available.
- Guests will carry their own luggage if physically able.
- Where valets are available, operators must wear PPE, and step 6 ft. apart when opening car doors, after parking the vehicle operator will switch or sanitize gloves proprt to servicing the next vehicle or re-entry to the building.
- Front desk areas will provide a physical buffer between guest and employee, such as a plexiglass shield
- Hotels must change HVAC filters to maximize fresh air, and increase outdoor airflow rates
- High touch areas will be cleaned every 4 hours
- Industry leading cleaning and disinfecting protocols that meet EPA approved standards for SARS-CoV2 will be used to clean guestrooms
- Self-serve buffet-style food service will be suspended and replaced by alternative service styles
- Guest check-in will be staggered by group with a limit of 10 guests in the lobby
- Only 1 person/group will approach the front desk for —there should only be one guest per station if stations are 6 ft. apart.
Face Coverings
ALL employees and patrons visiting essential retail and commercial businesses must wear a form of covering over their nose and mouth at all times.
If you are visiting one of the open parks/greenspaces and/or beachwalks/baywalks, you must wear a face covering unless social distancing can be achieved. This does not apply to children under the age of 2 or person’s who have trouble breathing due to chronic pre-existing conditions or persons engaged in strenuous physical activity are not required to wear a face covering.
Citywide Curfew
The city has established a general curfew throughout Miami Beach. The curfew will be in effect daily from 12 a.m. (midnight) to 5 a.m., and shall include but not be limited to the prohibition on pedestrian and vehicular movement, standing and parking, except for the designated essential services such as fire, police and hospital services, including the transportation of patients thereto, utility emergency repairs, emergency calls by physicians, and food delivery services.
Beach Use
The city’s beachwalks and baywalks are open daily as a shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m., the beachwalk is exclusively for pedestrians.
If you are visiting one of the open parks/greenspaces and/or beachwalks/baywalks, you must wear a face covering unless social distancing can be achieved.
To learn about more reopening across the globe, check out Recommend’s Safe Travels portal.
