A late night order will close the doors of restaurants for on-site dining in Miami-Dade County during certain hours amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez signed the emergency order late Tuesday night, which goes into effect Wednesday night at midnight, closing establishments that seat more than eight people from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. nightly until further notice.
“We must take this action to tamp down Miami-Dade County’s recent rise in COVID-19 cases,” Gimenez said in a statement. “Too many people were crowding into restaurants late at night, turning these establishments into breeding grounds for this deadly virus.”
Establishments will still be allowed to provide pick-up and delivery services while employees will be allowed to have access during the hours.
The news comes after beaches in all South Florida counties will close on Fourth of July weekend and gatherings of 50 or more people will be banned in Miami-Dade over concerns of social distancing and the coronavirus.
"As we continue to see more COVID-19 positive test results among young adults and rising hospitalizations, I have decided that the only prudent thing to do to tamp down this recent uptick is to crack down on recreational activities that put our overall community at higher risk," Gimenez said in a statement last week when signing that order.
