Miami Won't Move To Phase 3 Reopening Yet But Isn't Issuing New Stay-At-Home Order Following Rise In COVID-19 Cases
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says he is not going to roll back any decisions regarding the coronavirus and business and is not going to issue another stay-at-home order right now but he also says the city is not going to go to Phase 3 right now because of an uptick in cases.
Phase 3 would allow certain businesses like nightclubs and bars to reopen.
"We have seen in the last two weeks 13 new cases a day," he said at a joint news conference at Miami City Hall with Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
Suarez told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that there was some positive news in regard to hospitalizations.
"The hospitals are holding at 62 to 66 percent capacity," he said. He said another stay-at-home order would be issued only as a last resort and would happen if the hospitals reached a "crisis situation."
"The stay-at-home order is a last resort, but I just want to reiterate the importance of wearing masks and washing hands and maintaining social distancing," he said.
"On the enforcement side we have inspected 14,275 businesses for compliance between May 20th and May 25th. "I want to emphasize how this is not a time to let your guard down."
He also said that well-known Miami car dealer Norman Braman was donating 50,000 masks to the city to go to protesters and other people who need them.
Gelber said that Braman was donating 10,000 masks to his city.
"Some people ask me if I am cautiously optimistic," said Gelber. "We are cautious so we can be optimistic. The all clear signal does not mean we do not have to be cautious in our reopenings. We need to be fully conscientious in what we do. We need to take diligent counter measures.
"If young people want to go out and believe they are not going to get the virus and kill anyone they have to realize that some people are living with someone my age," said Gelber.
The warnings come as more and more business reopen.
Bruce Cannella, the co-owner of the BASE men's, multi-brand clothing store in Wynwood, said he reopened May 20th after being shut down for two months.
"It's been going really well and I am happy to have reopenings after 2 months. It has been a long time. We are happy to have our customers back and we have been very careful. I think everyone has been conscientious with signs and hand sanitizers and masks and social distancing. It would be terrible to have to shut down again if it ever came to that. That would hurt so many small businesses."
Kim Coe, the longtime owner of Kim's Valet Cleaners on Biscayne Boulevard, was able to stay open as an essential business but it took a while for her regular customers to return.
"Right now it is going fine with people back to work and therefore you have more business," she said. "At first we were hurting because people did not have work. It would be bad if small businesses would have to shut down again. We hope they will keep going. We have been very careful with all my employees wearing masks and customers too and hand sanitizer and distance."
"I was able to get some help from the government with the PPE check and I was able to keep everyone on my payroll thank God," she said.