This is a very challenging time for everyone on the planet. More than anything your safety and the well being of your family is our main concern. Please take every precaution necessary to protect your loved ones and stay healthy. Be sure to wash your hands as often as possible, and stay home if you feel the slightest illness.

We will make it through this victorious however in the meantime spend this time loving your family.
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Sincerely,
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Troy E. Wright
Executive Director
Washington Avenue BID


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City of Miami Beach Expands Emergency Measures–
In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus– Miami Beach, FL – March 19, 2020 3:00 pm

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the City of Miami Beach has added the following summary of changes to their State of Emergency Declaration, effective Friday, March 20, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.:

‍Closure of all publicly owned and privately-owned parks, beaches and recreational facilities

Restricted use of beachwalks and baywalks to pedestrians only (no bicycles, scooters, skateboards, roller skates, or similar devices except for wheelchairs used by disabled persons)

Closure of Monument Island until further notice

Closure of all museums, memorials and cultural institutions

Closure of all private schools and educational institutions in the City, except as necessary to facilitate online or distance learningRequire religious institutions to reduce their occupancy to no more than 10 persons

Require restaurants providing take-out services to maintain a distance of 6 feet among individual patrons to enforce social distancingClick here to read the revised Declaration of Emergency Measures effective March 20, 2020.

Any violation of the aforementioned emergency measures would subject the individual or business entity to criminal penalties.Non-essential businesses are closed effective 9 p.m. today pursuant to Miami-Dade County Emergency Order 07-20.

Please click here for the County’s order on all non-essential retail and commercial establishments and click here for their order closing all parks, beaches and recreational facilities in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County.

For additional information on the city’s efforts, including all emergency measures being enforced, please visit www.MiamiBeachFl.gov/coronavirus.

March 17 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced all bars and nightclubs in Florida will close for 30 days, effective as of 5 p.m. Tuesday,due to concerns over the coronavirus. It was not immediately clear if bars and nightclubs would have to shutter completely or if they will be allowed to serve food to patrons. “We are going to encourage people to take advantage of take out and delivery services,” DeSantis said. “We are also going to be requiring restaurants screen all employees and prohibit entry for employees that may have a positive response to all the trigger questions.”  

The governor also announced that restaurants must limit their number of patrons to maintain safe distances between diners. Under the governor’s order, restaurants can only operate at half capacity. “We don’t want large crowds congregating right now. We want enough isolation so that the virus has more difficulty spreading throughout the community,” DeSantis said at a Tuesday morning news conference at the Capitol. Just minutes earlier, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced bars and restaurants in the city would be banned from selling alcoholic beverages on premises until March 31.

Dyer said this ban would not affect liquor stores. It is unclear how the two announcements will affect each other. DeSantis had mostly refrained from issuing mandates and allowed localities to use their own judgment on how to limit public activities.He acted more decisively only after President Donald Trump issued stricter guidelines on Monday. 

The governor said his order does not preclude the hardest-hit communities from taking more actions.  Even before the governor’s announcement, Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, announced Tuesday that it would immediately order restaurants to reduce maximum by 50% and close by 10 p.m. In addition, the governor announced four students at the University of Florida have tested positive for coronavirus and an additional COVID-19 related death in Broward County. “We also had a death associated with an assisted living facility in Broward County,” DeSantis said.

“The 77-year-old male, he had significant underlying health issues.” Later in the day, Florida’s state university system Board of Governors instructed state universities to move all courses to online-learning only for the rest of the spring semester. DeSantis also touched upon the Centers for Disease Control ’s new recommendations for social gatherings at beaches. “You have to have distance apart if you are going to be out there,” DeSantis said. “Different localities are going to make decisions.” 

Key West shut down three tourist attractions to the public —Southernmost Point, Smathers Beach and the sunset celebration at Mallory Square.  Many beaches in Florida, including Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach and Hollywood Beach, have closed to spring break crowds. But some stayed open: Beaches in Brevard County and on Florida’s Gulf Coast, were packed with spring breakers Monday afternoon. 

The governor confirmed Florida now has 192 cases of coronavirus, 173 of those cases are from state residents. “We know the people who are the most vulnerable, we have done a lot to try to help with that, the younger folks are going to be key to that, we hope this will reduce gathering in large numbers, we are trying to heed the president’s call,” DeSantis said. 

March 17, 2020
As you probably have already seen the County Mayor has ordered the closure of the following types of businesses:

Food service establishments
Bars
Clubs
Movie theaters
Gymnasiums
Fitness studios
Bowling alleys
Concert houses
Playhouses
Arcades
Restaurant kitchens (may remain open for takeout and delivery)

The following businesses are not included in this order and are encouraged to remain open:
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Gas Stations
Convenience stores

This order is effective as of 11pm today (March 17th).   (MIAMI BEACH ORDER IS EFFECTIVE AS OF 10 P.M. TODAY)

More information

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 16, 2020

‍As of 4:00 pm today
‍Attached please find additional Emergency Measures enacted today by the City Manager. These take effect March 17, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. and are effective through March 19, 2020. 

‍Restaurant kitchens will be permitted to continue their operations after 10:00 p.m until midnight for food delivery services only. 

‍Additional measures include sidewalk cafes are now required to either reduce their capacity by 50%, or to a maximum of 50 persons, whichever is less.   If your business is permitted to have 500 or more it must be reduced to 249 persons. 

‍Food deliveries will extend until midnight. 

Transportation (Lyft & Uber) can drop your employees off and pick them up from work. Trolley will continue to run on Full Schedule. 

‍Building Permit – There will be a drop off on the 1st floor of the City of Miami Beach Building The city will process the information and get back with you at a later date.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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March 15, 2020
‍Cities of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale Add Additional Proactive Measures to Limit Large Gatherings–In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19– Miami Beach, FL – As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to rise throughout the nation, the City of Miami Beach is ramping up additional measures to curtail large crowds from gathering and encourage social distancing.  

Starting tomorrow in Miami Beach, non-essential businesses citywide will be required to close daily by 10 p.m. until further notice, and the city is urging restaurants, bars and nightclubs to decrease their capacity by 50 percent to create social distancing. Businesses excluded from this mandate include: pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, private offices, banks, hotels, hospitals, medical service providers, medical supply stores, hardware stores, gasoline service stations and automotive supply/repair centers. Additionally, there will be a complete closure of the beaches from Fifth to 15 streets until further notice. An 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will also be enforced in the city’s entertainment district starting Monday, March 16. City-owned parking garages and surface lots citywide will only be open to residents with proof of residency and access card holders.

“It simply can’t be business as usual in our City,” said Mayor Dan Gelber. “COVID-19 is a threat as much here as anywhere. We simply cannot endure these kinds of gatherings and crowds. Our measures are intended to send a clear message that Spring Break is cancelled and that everyone, even young people home from school, need to embrace these health and safety concerns. We are proud of our hospitality industry, and concerned with the toll it will have on our businesses and workers but we cannot elevate those concerns above very real health risks.”

The City of Miami Beach is partnering with their northern neighbor, the City of Fort Lauderdale, to both implement similar measures in deterring large spring break crowds. Both municipalities have faced similar challenges with the influx of large crowds this time of the year and are aligned in their efforts to implement social distancing.

“We have to do everything possible to minimize crowds and unfortunately, our beautiful beaches must be part of that plan,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “I want to be clear that this is not an overreaction, but a way for us to help stop further cases of COVID-19 in our community. We must all do our part to save lives. This includes protecting our residents, visitors, and our first responders.”

‍Click here to read the revised Declaration of Emergency Measures effective March 16, 2020.

For measures specific to the City of Fort Lauderdale, please visit www.fortlauderdale.gov

IMPORTANT NOTICE - BUSINESS OWNERS
03/15/20
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In light of the Coronavirus, the national nature of this pandemic, and previous measures ordained by the City of Miami Beach, This afternoon the City of Miami Beach declared the following:

No eating and/or drinking establishment, restaurant, nightclub, dance hall, hall for hire, or similar business shall be permitted to operate, and shall immediately cease all business activities and operations, if, at any time, the total occupancy load of any such business or establishment meets or exceeds two-hundred and fifty (250) persons.

Clubs will be permitted to remain open, but are subject to closure at any time by the City Manager.

No club or venue will be allowed to have more than 249 people inside of the establishment at any one time.

All alcohol sales must stop promptly at 3:00 AM

All special events have been rescinded, which means no events that received a special use permit will be allowed until further notice.  ·      

All Pool Parties are canceled until further notice  Attached you will find the Declaration of the State of Emergency and the Imposition of Measures During High Impact.
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Due to the level of severity of the virus that still remains a mystery, the BID would advise you to err on the side of safety for the wellbeing of your staff and guests and take precautions to reduce the spread of the virus.

Please have your staff wash their hands with soap and water as often as possible We will continue to keep you updated on information as it is released. For questions or concerns, you can contact me at twright@washavemb.comor 305-916-0779


Also, those who participate and attend as a primary concern, we have decided to postpone Barlooza schedule for April 18th. Your ticket(s) will be fully refunded.

Barlooza is still scheduled for July 18th to kick off our Tequila series.

We do hope you are able to attend! Please feel free to call 305-916-0779 if you have any questions or concerns.
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Sincerely, Troy E. Wright Executive Director Washington Avenue BID