City of Miami Beach Update on COVID-19, 5/16

Saturday, May 16, 2020

The City of Miami Beach is preparing to safely welcome back residents and visitors to a myriad of locales that had previously closed their doors in our collective effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. Following Miami-Dade County Mayor’s May 15, 2020 issuance of County Emergency Order 23-20, the city will implement its phased reopening on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 — permitting certain retail and commercial establishments, including retail stores, personal grooming establishments, offices and museums to reopen, subject to the social distancing requirements in County EO 23-20 and the city’s Phase 1 Reopening Emergency Order. The city’s order provides that restaurants and sidewalk cafes may reopen on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. The city has launched a website, www.miamibeachfl.gov/reopening, delineating mandatory guidelines by industry. The site is currently populated with Phase 1A guidelines and subsequent 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. The city is exploring other options to allow for more outdoor capacity.

Hybrid Testing Site Due to possible inclement weather this weekend, the State has stopped all COVID-19 testing at the Miami Beach Convention Center site through Sunday, May 17. The State will reopen COVID-19 testing on Monday, May 18 at 9 a.m., pending weather conditions. The COVID-19 testing facility at the Miami Beach Convention Center campus now has the capacity for up to 750 tests per day, previously 400. Testing is FREE and available to anyone, 18 years or older, regardless of COVID-19 symptoms. A patient that has been tested is welcome to be retested at any time. For more information on testing and testing for homebound seniors view the 'Testing' tab on our Coronavirus dedicated webpage.

72 Street Community Complex Join the City of Miami Beach for a virtual presentation on the 72 Street Community Complex project, which will be located at 299 72 Street. Tuesday, May 19 6 PM Participate via Zoom webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87017021573 or by telephone 888.475.4499 (toll free). The Webinar ID is 870 1702 1573.

Facial Covering Requirements Face coverings MUST be worn at all essential retail and commercial businesses. If you are visiting one of our 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, person's who have trouble breathing due to chronic pre-existing conditions or persons engaged in strenuous physical activity. As of today, May 11, all city parks and tennis centers that are currently open will now close at 8 p.m. South Pointe park has also reopened today. It will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be closed on the weekends. Click here for a full listing of parks/greenspace openings and view below facial covering requirement details. Click here to learn how you can easily make your own face covering.

Rent Relief Fund Residents who have fallen behind in rent payments as a result of job loss can apply for the city's rent relief fund by calling the Office of Housing and Community Services to schedule an appointment at 305.673.7491. Staff will inform callers of the required documentation to bring to the appointment. Once staff has a complete application with all required documentation, the application will be reviewed for eligibility. Applicants will be provided with correspondence to provide to their respective landlord that an application for rent assistance has been filed with the City of Miami Beach. Once the file is approved, a check will be mailed to the landlord within 7-10 business days. The City will provide assistance to households earning no more than 80% AMI until funds are exhausted. Below are details on each program, including eligibility requirements. Click here for a checklist of documents needed to apply for tenant-based rental assistance. For more information, visit the "Rent Assistance" tab on our dedicated Coronavirus webpage.

Customer Service Our city hotline at 305.604.CITY (2489) is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. You can also email your questions to MBCovid@miamibeachfl.gov

To help keep you informed on the latest details of this ever evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the city has created a dedicated, city-related coronavirus webpage. We encourage you to continuously visit www.miamibeachfl.gov/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information, including a list of frequently asked questions, important resources, impacts to city services and more.

Below is an ongoing summary of updates from the City of Miami Beach. Miami Beach Resource Center Has your business or job been impacted by coronavarius pandemic? The City of Miami Beach is here to help! Please email your contact information and inquiry to resourcecenter@miamibeachfl.gov and one of our resource agents will assist you.

You can also view some helpful tools and resources for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including information on Governor DeSantis' Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program and more on our dedicated business portal. Meals for Seniors If you are a senior citizen 60 years or older and are having problems getting meals, please call Miami-Dade County’s 311 Call Center between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and you will be immediately patched in with their Emergency Operations Center to get you the meals or other services that you may need. If you are not a senior, we still encourage you to share this message with any senior you may know. Miami-Dade Public Schools Meal Distribution Nautilus Middle School has replaced Miami Beach Senior High as the meal distribution center for Miami-Dade Public Schools grab-and-go meals in our community. Those in need can pick-up meals from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, click here for more information and other school locations. Free meals for kids are also available through FLIPANY, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Feeding Florida. Impacted Meetings/Events For a full list of impacted meetings and events, please visit www.miamibeachfl.gov/coronavirus. Miami Beach Restaurants - Takeout and Delivery The City of Miami Beach is maintaining the general curfew throughout the city beginning at midnight each night, but permited restaurants to continue to operate their kitchens after midnight, for delivery services only. *Support local businesses by clicking here to view a list of Miami Beach Restaurants open for delivery and takeout* Created to help out local restaurants, Miami Eats has now expanded its efforts to also support your local front-line medical staff, police and fire first-responders through Meals for Heroes Miami.  Stay Informed The City of Miami Beach remains committed to ensuring the safety and public health of our residents, visitors and local businesses. As the information is changing rapidly pertaining to COVID-19, the administration is conducting daily interdepartmental calls to monitor the progression of novel coronavirus COVID-19 to ensure that we stay informed and respond when needed. We are also closely following the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). For updated information on the city’s efforts, please visit: www.MiamiBeachFl.gov/coronavirus. We will also post updated messages via email, Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and via text message (text MBAlert to 888777).