Dining out this weekend? Expect a restaurant experience similar to the one you were used to back in March, not the sparse, restricted vibe associated with the lockdown. On Thursday, the City of Miami’s City Manager, Art Noriega, spoke to the Miami Herald about the ways in which his municipality would be easing restrictions. They include moving the curfew to midnight instead of 11pm, giving restaurants permission to operate at 100-percent capacity and allowing parties of up to 10 people per table both inside and outside the venue.
Restaurants must be able to adequately space tables at least six feet apart to be able to reopen at full capacity, but the city isn’t requiring owners to submit a plan explaining their new operating occupancy. Establishments that have made use of their sidewalks and street parking spaces for additional dining space can continue to do so. City inspectors will be making the rounds to check for violations, such as folks not wearing their mask while seated and tables that are spaced too close together.
Curfew changes are tenuous as Miami-Dade cops could technically still issue a violation to folks who are seen out after 11pm, but the City of Miami will be sticking to the new midnight mandate. Officials will be monitoring the number of positive cases over the next two weeks and determining whether the curfew should be pushed later. On Friday, Mayor Giménez tweeted that if test results remained stable over the weekend, he'd push the Miami-Dade curfew to midnight on Monday, October 12.
All of these changes are specific to the City of Miami, so neighborhoods such as Brickell, Downtown, Coconut Grove and the Design District. Everywhere else in Miami-Dade is still abiding by the 11pm curfew, so keep that in mind when you make plans this weekend.
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