City of Miami Beach Update on COVID-19, 7/22

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

It should go without saying that Miami Beach residents and visitors need to be wearing a mask when in public, and as COVID-19 cases continue to surge across South Florida — city officials are done issuing warnings. Starting tomorrow, July 23, Miami Beach Police and Code Officers will be giving out $50 civil citations for anyone not wearing a facial covering while in a public place or space. We urge everyone to also continue practicing social distancing and meticulously wash your hands regularly. The Countywide curfew for the remainder of the city, excluding the 8 p.m. curfew for the South Beach Entertainment District, remains in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

North Beach Social Distancing Plan Join the City of Miami Beach to discuss and provide input on the proposed North Beach Social Distancing plan for pedestrians and bicyclists. City staff is reviewing a proposal to create a single-lane closure on Collins Avenue in North Beach (63 Street to 87 Street) to create a dedicated lane for pedestrians and bicyclists to comply with social distancing needs. Thursday, July 23, 2020 12 PM Join the virtual webinar online via the Zoom platform: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88250249106 Password: 684459 Or participate by telephone: 877.853.5257 (Toll Free) Webinar ID: 882 5024 9106 For more information or to provide public comment, please contact Kevin Pulido, Neighborhood Affairs Manager at 786.568.6051 or via email at KevinPulido@MiamiBeachFl.gov

Community Feedback Webinar on the Building Department Please join us for a public webinar to gather feedback from the community on the City of Miami Beach Building Department. Thursday, July 23, 2020 10 AM to 12 PM To register for this event, click here.

Plasma Donation As the number of COVID-19 infections rise in Florida, hospitals are facing critical shortages of convalescent plasma for treatment. OneBlood is working with the public and physicians to coordinate the delivery of potential lifesaving COVID-19 convalescent plasma to those in need.   Transfusing the plasma that contains the antibodies into a person still fighting the virus can provide a boost to the patient’s immune system and potentially help them recover. Click here to learn more on how you can donate today.

Let’s Get Families Cooking The Parks and Recreation Department is offering virtual family cooking classes, which teaches parents and kids how to cook healthy and economic meals. The class focuses on family participation, healthy ingredient substitutions, and convenient cost-saving recipes. Class schedule: Saturday, July 25 | 10 AM or 11 AM Saturday, August 1 | 10 AM or 11 AM Saturday, August 8 | 10 AM, 11 AM or 12 PM Space is limited, register online at register.miamibeachparks.com. A limited number of free classes are available. For more information contact: therrera@miamibeachfl.gov Registration To register, log into your Rec Trac account and click Common Threads Family Cooking Class under Special Events. Cooking menu is the same on each date. All family members participating in the class must register for each class they would like to participate in. Only registered participants will be allowed to partake in the classes. Failure to register each participant may result in them not being allowed to participate due to limited space. There is a maximum of 3 family members per class.  Ingredient Pick-Up The main ingredients required for the class will be available for pickup on the Friday before each class at the Scott Rakow Youth Center from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. What will you learn?  • Family Dinner Without the Stress • Restaurant Meals You Can Make At Home • A Healthy Start: Breakfast Made Easy

Virtual Culture Miami-Dade County’s cultural institutions announced Miami Art Strong, an ongoing partnership to strengthen the impact and ensure the longevity of the arts in South Florida. Miami Art Strong kicked off last week with the launch of an interactive digital marketing campaign that invites local audiences to share the local art experiences that inspire them and keep them hopeful about the future using the hashtag #MiamiArtStrong. The arts are a powerful force, allowing us to express our humanity through a spectrum of emotions, from joy to sadness and nostalgia. Most importantly, the arts allow us to connect with one another, and address the profound cultural and societal frameworks that make up our present-day reality. In a moment of collective reckoning, the arts encourage reflection, ignite necessary conversations, and create empathy among our widely diverse communities. Click here to learn more and view this week's virtual culture guide.

Commission & Finance and Economic Resiliency Meetings The next Finance and Economic Resiliency meeting is being held Friday, June 24 at 9 a.m.  and will be televised on MBTV and streamed live on Facebook . The Special Commission Meeting will follow at 1 p.m. The Commission Chambers will be closed to the public, but you can watch both meetings via Zoom at  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87343999500 How to provide spoken public comment during the City Commission Meeting: The public may provide spoken comment by dialing telephone 301.715.8592 or 888.475.4499 (Toll Free). The Webinar ID is 873 4399 9500#. Press *9 to raise a hand to be placed in queue to speak. How to submit written public comment before the City Commission Meeting: The public may submit written comments by sending an email to CityClerk@miamibeachfl.gov by 5 p.m. the day before the Commission Meeting. Please identify the Agenda Item Number in the email subject line. Emails received will be forwarded to the Mayor and Commissioners and will be included as a part of the meeting record.

Miami-Dade County Emergency Rental Assistance Program - EXTENDED The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), created by the Miami-Dade County Commissioners, has extended their application until Friday, July 24 at 5 p.m.     The ERAP will assist eligible residents in Miami-Dade who earn no more than 80 percent of the County area median income (AMI) according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines, currently have a written lease, are not a participant in other rental assistance programs, and have documentation showing that their household’s income was impacted by COVID-19. To submit an application, visit: https://bit.ly/3iHM7E7 .

Drive-Thru Food Distribution Feeding South Florida and Commissioner David Richardson will host a drive-thru food distribution Saturday, July 25. Saturday, July 25 9 AM - 11 AM 2100 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL The food distribution is on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Please remain in your car and open the trunk when it's your turn in line. If you do not have a car and would like to qualify for food assistance, please call or register online. Phone: 305.604.CITY (2489) or   www.miamibeachfl.gov/food

Virtual Specialty Summer Camp In case you missed it, the Parks and Recreation Department will be closing its summer camp sites effective Monday, July 27, 2020. If you're looking for an alternative, the Parks and Recreation Department is still offering Virtual Specialty Camp programming for summer 2020! Offerings include: Coding Camp Dance Camp Fine Arts Camp Yoga, Zumba, Cheer & Hip Hop Camp For detailed scheduling information, click here. To register, visit register.miamibeachparks.com

Virtual Town Hall Meeting Join Commissioner Steven Meiner for a virtual Town Hall Meeting to discuss public safety and preview the Wednesday, July 29 Commission Meeting. Tuesday, July 28 5:30 PM To participate/provide comment, join via webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85436672844 Or via telephone: 301.715.8592 or 888.475.4499 (toll free), Webinar ID: 854 3667 2844

COVID-19 & Antibody Testing Walk-Up Testing The walk-up COVID-19 testing is located at 73 Street and Ocean Terrace from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Once you check-in, there is no need to stand in a line, you will receive a text message advising when the nurse is ready for you. Miami Beach Convention Center Testing Site Both the COVID-19 active virus and antibody tests continue to be available at the Miami Beach Convention Center testing facility located on 17 Street and Convention Center Drive. The COVID-19 drive-thru and walk-up testing site is available daily, including weekends, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is now available for children ages 5 and up. Homebound Testing Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is offering in home testing for senior citizens and individuals over the age of 18 with disabilities who are experiencing symptoms common to the coronavirus and are homebound. Appointments can only be booked 24 hours in advance. This system is available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Click here to register and to learn more. The City of Miami Beach continues to offer homebound testing to all residents, regardless of age. To make an appointment, please call the city's Customer Service Center at 305.604.CITY (2489). Self-Swab Lanes at Hard Rock Testing Location The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) state-supported drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the Hard Rock Stadium is now offering separate, observed self-swab lanes to symptomatic individuals. At this site, symptomatic individuals will be directed to a separate lane for testing and will be provided an observed, self-swab test under the supervision of a health care professional. Observed self-swab tests will be offered to those 5 years of age and older with symptoms of COVID-19. Visit our 'Testing' tab to view detailed information on all testing locations and further details.

Stay Informed Now more than ever it's important to get counted! So call up your friends and neighbors and ask them to visit my2020census.gov and make sure our community gets counted. Visit our dedicated, city-related coronavirus webpage www.miamibeachfl.gov/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information, including important resources, impacts to city services and more. 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. Or connect with us through social media via email, Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and via text message (text MBAlert to 888777).

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