Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties Reopen Parks, Golf Courses & Boat Ramps

As of April 29, 2020, the six-week closure order currently in place for parks, golf courses and marinas located in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County will officially come to an end. Emergency Order 21-20 (Miami-Dade County) and Emergency Order Number 5 (Palm Beach County) were released late Monday, detailing new rules and regulations pertaining to the reopening of recreational areas in each county.

All parks and natural areas may be open beginning on Wednesday, allowing individuals and families to use them for limited active and passive uses such as walking, jogging, running, cycling and hiking. Restrictions include limiting group sizes congregated in one area to 10, continuing to observe social distance protocols, prohibiting the use of table games, picnics and parties and requiring facial coverings. Beaches and pools located in parks were not included in these orders and will remain closed to the public until further notice. Community pools in Palm Beach County are scheduled to open on Wednesday with certain restrictions; however community pools and golf courses remain closed in Miami-Dade.

The newly released executive orders include new rules and guidelines for all water-related activities pertaining to boating, charter vessels, kayaking, canoeing and fishing. For example, all boats, kayaks and canoes must remain 50 feet apart at all times. Boats launching via boat ramps will be allowed to launch one at a time and must be prepared to take off in advance. Anchoring at shallow sandbars or tying up to posts or structures remains prohibited, and restrictions on boat capacity rules are included in the order. Rules for fishing stations and piers include distance and facial covering requirements.

Effective on April 29^th, some golf courses may open as long as certain conditions are met. The orders include rules on facial coverings and social distancing, and detail specific cleaning and disinfecting protocols of golf carts, rental equipment and restrooms.

Though Broward County has not released any information on the reopening of their recreational areas, it is speculated that they will be releasing a similar order soon. As reopening plans continue to take shape in South Florida, we will continue to update our COVID-19 Legal Resource Center with the latest information as it is released.