Reopening Florida: Miami-Dade & Broward Join Phase One

As Florida’s Governor begins to expand his plans for reopening the state to include South Florida, associations should be careful when deciding to relax any restrictions which they have implemented to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of their residents and staff. Executive Order 20-112 entitled “Phase 1. Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery”, became effective on May 4th and initially applied to every county except Miami-Dade and Broward. However, after two months of closures, the Governor has given the green light to include Miami-Dade and Broward in Phase 1 and the mayors of both counties have issued orders which allowed their economies to reopen effective May 18. So how will this impact South Floridians?

Though all persons in Florida are mandated to continue practicing social distancing by limiting their interactions outside of their homes and are still required to wear face coverings when out in the public where social distancing is not possible, businesses are now allowed to resume limited operations. Restaurants and other food establishments, retail stores, museums and libraries, barber shops and salons, as well as offices of health care practitioners located in Miami-Dade and Broward counties were allowed to reopen as of May 18—so long as certain restrictions are followed such as restrictive capacity requirement and social distancing guidelines. Beaches, gyms, bars and nightclubs that derive more than 50 percent of their revenue from alcohol sales, and the operation of vacation rentals are not included in the initial reopening plans for either county. Palm Beach County, however, has allowed its beaches to reopen. As of today, beaches located in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties remain closed. It is expected that beaches will begin to reopen in Broward after Memorial Day weekend.

Regardless of where your community association is located, it is important to note that associations should not feel pressured to reopen their facilities, especially if reopening cannot be done safely and in full compliance with the requirements established by the CDC and the emergency orders. Associations that decide to reopen their facilities should ensure they are adhering to the specific guidelines provided by these orders.

Do you have questions about your community association’s plan to reopen amenities? Send them to [email protected].