Miami-Dade's COVID-19 curfew will be lifted next week, the county's mayor announced Monday.
Speaking at a news conference, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the county's midnight curfew will be lifted on Monday, April 12.
The curfew was put in place last year as the coronavirus pandemic intensified in South Florida.
Levine Cava said the decision was made as the county's positivity rate has been steadily trending downward and as vaccine availability has increased.
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"Our single best tool of course is this vaccine, it's the only thing that will end this pandemic so that we can get back to normal and rebuilding our economy," Levine Cava said.
The mayor said around 72% of people age 65 and older have been vaccinated in Miami-Dade, with more than 800,000 receiving at least one dose.
Restaurants, bars and the hospitality industry have been hit hard by the pandemic, with many struggling to stay open.
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At the Miami Mojito Company in trendy Wynwood, open until midnight is a game changer.
"For us I think it will be a breather, we depend on the entertainment and people coming out and having fun, obviously in a safe way," Miami Mojito's Alejandro Santana said.
Among other new guidelines the mayor announced are the reopening of senior centers and allowing childcare centers to double their capacity.
Levine Cava encouraged people to continue to wear masks and socially distance.
In South Beach, where we saw an even stricter curfew during spring break, they’re ready to follow the county’s lead.
“Our 8 p.m. curfew in the Entertainment District was really limited to the Spring Break period which ends next week,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. “So we should be in sync with the county, in a sense that well simply follow county's direction.”
With another popular holiday travel weekend on the horizon, it’s possible another curfew discussion could be coming.
“I would ask our commission to consider whether they want a curfew well before Memorial Day because I don’t think we should make that decision in the midst of Memorial,“ said Gelber. “I think that can create a lot of disruption to both our residents and visitors.”
