What to Know
- Miami-Dade and Broward will be moving to Phase 2 of reopening on Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced
- The move will clear the way for schools in both counties to resume in-person learning
- Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said more details about business reopenings will be released next week
Miami-Dade and Broward will be moving to Phase 2 of reopening starting Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday.
DeSantis made the announcement during a news conference with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho at the Frost Museum of Science.
DeSantis said the move will allow both counties to begin allowing in-person instruction at schools to resume for the first time since they were closed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Students have been participating in distance learning since March. DeSantis said remote learning will still be an option for parents who want it.
"This is really, really important. We've had a very difficult six months but it's been very difficult for kids," DeSantis said. "Many of them did a good job under the circumstances but it's just not the same."
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DeSantis said downward trends in COVID-19 positivity rates and virus-related hospitalizations have made it possible for the counties to move to Phase 2.
Carvalho said a possible date for reopening hasn't been set.
"We are extremely encouraged by the downward trends that we have observed," Carvalho said.
Earlier in the week, Gimenez had announced that certain entertainment venues would be reopening on Monday, including Zoo Miami and Jungle Island. He said the county will now be looking at opening more businesses like movie theaters, bowling alleys, playhouses and arcades, and said more details about those reopenings will be released next week.
Gimenez said the county will be consulting with medical experts about reopening safety measures, and said they will be giving the entertainment venues time to prepare to open at 50% capacity.
He added that bars and nightclubs will remain closed in Miami-Dade.
"We're still not out of the woods yet but we're getting close and we must all make sure to take personal responsibility about protecting ourselves and others from catching this virus," Gimenez said.
At a news conference Friday afternoon, Broward Mayor Dale Holness said more openings would be announced in coming weeks, but said bars in the county would remain closed.
"We're gonna plan that carefully and make sure we're moving forward in a cautious way," Holness said.
He added that the county's school board would be meeting on Sept. 22 to discuss when schools might possibly reopen to students.
Holness said certain businesses in Broward have already reopened to limited capacity, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and amusement parks.
