Miami-Dade Curfew To Be Pushed Back On Monday; Zoo Miami To Open

MIAMI, FL — Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced Wednesday he is pushing back the county curfew starting Monday but will make an exception for anyone holding tickets for Thursday night's home opener for the University of Miami football team at Hard Rock Stadium.

Starting Monday the countywide curfew will move back one hour to 11 p.m. "The 10 p.m. curfew will remain in effect this week," Gimenez said. "If you are going to the game, keep your ticket with you in case you get stopped by police and you will not get a curfew violation."

The Miami Hurricanes take on the University of Alabama at Birmingham football team at 8 p.m. Thursday amid a maximum seat capacity of 13,000 and a number of other changes to promote social distancing at Hard Rock Stadium. Gimenez said the exception would be extended for anyone attending a professional or college sporting event.

Gimenez said he and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez discussed the curfew change with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, and White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx in a conference call Tuesday.

"The doctors suggested that we do it starting next Monday, which would be exactly two weeks since we allowed interior dining at restaurants with limited capacity at 50 percent," Gimenez told reporters Wednesday.

"This morning, I also consulted with the county's medical experts and they agreed that if we continued on this downward trajectory, that we should be able to extend the county's curfew to 11 o'clock on Monday and also allow some more outdoor activities under strict guidelines," Gimenez said.

This includes opening up Zoo Miami and other outdoor spaces like Jungle Island though most indoor spaces in those venues will remain closed and visitors must wear masks while observing social distancing guidelines.

"We don't want crowding in closed spaces which spreads the infection," the mayor said. "Miami-Dade parks will be open until 10 o'clock for sports and there will be lighting. Baseball and softball will be allowed under strict rules that include wearing a facial covering for the catcher."

Rental bikes, mopeds and scooter rentals will once again be available in the county with docking stations, however operators musts provide sanitizing wipes for users to clean the rentals before and after each use. Tour boats and charter buses can also begin to operate at 50 percent capacity starting on Monday.

Gimenez urged anyone who got together with friends or extended family over the holiday weekend to get tested for the coronavirus this week regardless of whether they have symptoms.

"We continue to see a downturn in our COVID-19 infection rate and hospitalizations," he said. "We cannot get complacent, particularly now that Labor Day has passed and we know that spikes can happen after the holidays."

Click here for a list of testing sites in Miami-Dade County.

"You don't have to have symptoms. We have more free testing sites than ever before and most people are getting their testing results in three days or less," Gimenez said.

He noted that the county has issued civil citations to 612 business and 396 individuals for mask violations as of this week. Some 140 businesses have also been closed until they meet requirements.

The mayor said he does not foresee opening Miami-area bars and nightclubs in the foreseeable future.

"Bars and nightclubs, the activities there are not conducive to maintaining a 6 foot separation," he said. "Those venues are really difficult. I don't foresee us opening bars and nightclubs here for the foreseeable future until we get a vaccine."