A popular Wynwood restaurant is prepared to open their doors again after temporarily shutting down as part of the Zika outbreak that paralyzed the area.
The Wynwood Yard, a completely outdoor venue in the popular area north of Downtown Miami, closed last week after calls from the Department of Health to have all people who live or work in the area be tested for the disease. One employee was confirmed to have had Zika.
After consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies, the management decided to reopen with several new measures in place to help prevent mosquitos, the insect in which the disease can be transmitted by and infects people after biting them, from being around customers as much as possible.
The move comes as businesses in the area have been suffering a decrease in sales and profits after the CDC advised tourists and pregnant woman to avoid the area.
Wednesday, crews from Miami-Dade County did aerial spraying for the fourth time in the last week, dropping larvicade over a two square mile radius. The decision to spray was planned before four more non-travel related cases were announced by Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday.
Miami-Dade County's mosquito control director says the insect's population is dropping in the Miami neighborhood health officials have linked to those 21 Zika infections.
The Miami Herald reported that at a special county commission meeting Tuesday, Chalmers Vasquez said his department finds just one mosquito a day in each trap in the Wynwood district. He said about two dozen mosquitoes were found daily in the traps two weeks ago.
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The county hired contractors to boost its 12-person mosquito control staff to nearly 100 people. Vasquez said his department is responding to thousands of residents' complaints about bug infestations.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez said insecticide is being dropped into 150,000 storm drains. Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak said $300,000 is being spent on ads urging residents to eliminate standing water on their property.
