Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued an emergency order Saturday afternoon that mandated the closure of county hotels, with some exceptions for a defined set of guests.
The order stated that "hotels, motels and other commercial lodging establishments shall not accept new reservations for persons other than essential lodgers."
Essential lodgers include:
- Healthcare professionals and first responders
- National Guard members, law enforcement, state or federal govt. employees
- Airline crew members
- Patients and their families
- Journalists and others responding to COVID-19
- Displaced residents or visitors
- People unable to return to their home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, or people who had to vacate their homes due to emergencies
Greater Miami and the Beaches has an updated list of hotels that remain open to essential lodgers here.
Earlier Friday, Miami Beach officials ordered to shut down all lodging establishments - including hotels, short-term rentals and more.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber announced Friday that hotels, suite hotels, hotel units within apartment-hotels, hostels, dormitories, motels and temporary vacation/short term rentals should immediately shut down operations and vacate guests from their premises by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 23.
Local
“Our hotels have always been the lifeblood of our economy, so shuttering them is not something to do impulsively. But right now, as painful as it may be, the reality is we just cannot be a tourist destination,” Gelber said in a news release.
Officials also added a general curfew throughout the city of Miami Beach from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m., effective Tuesday, March 24 at midnight, until further notice. The curfew in the Entertainment District remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 23.
“Attracting visitors and tourists is just utterly incompatible with social distancing," Gelber said. "For the many amazing operators and employees who are impacted and the families that rely upon them, we are so sorry that you will feel this most acutely and we will advocate for whatever relief will be available at the state and federal level."
Officials are also closing Purdy Boat Ramp at Maurice Gibb Park and clarified that all other marinas, boat launches, docking, fueling, marine supply and other marina services shall remain open between the hours of 7 a.m. to sunset only.
