Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida: Coronavirus economic recovery 'going to be a while’
'We're in a good spot,' Mayor Gimenez says
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez on the state of the coronavirus pandemic.
As Miami-Dade County, Fla., begins its phase two coronavirus reopening Monday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez told FOX Business’ David Asman that the county is in a “good spot,” but it’ll still be a while before it's fully recovered economically.
“In Miami-Dade, it’s going to be a while because a lot of our tourists, a lot of our income, a lot of our trade happens with Latin America and Europe. And they’re locked down,” he explained. “So until we can get the entire world basically open, it’s going to have an effect here. … It’ll linger here longer than other parts of the United States.”
Since Florida’s coronavirus spike in July, Gimenez said cases in Miami-Dade County have dropped significantly with about a 75% reduction in hospitalizations. Phase two will allow the curfew to be pushed back to 11 p.m., competitive play in parks and the reopening of amusement and recreational spaces.
RESTAURANTS BRACE FOR COLDER WEATHER AS INDOOR DINING REMAINS LIMITED
Beachgoers walk along the shore on Miami Beach, Florida's famed South Beach, Tuesday, July 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Gimenez said he’s hoping to announce the reopening of additional spaces once the county’s contact tracing program is “solid and enforced.” Miami-Dade has already reopened indoor dining at 50% capacity.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“We encourage as much as possible, when possible to open the doors, open windows on interior spaces,” he said. “We try to make up the capacity issue indoors with allowing you to open up outdoors. And so we've been very liberal with opening up outdoor spaces and we've seen a lot of restaurants do that.”
The mayor said he’s having a difficult time safely reopening bars and night clubs – a crucial element of Miami lifestyle. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins are set to play at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday where 13,000 fans will be returning to the stands.
“They've done a magnificent job at the Hard Rock to keep people safe,” he said. “You've got to be able to open things up, do it in a safe manner, wear your mask, keep your distance and then enforce the rules. … We're in a good spot. We want to continue that trend down and then open up in a reasonable and responsible manner, keeping our folks safe.”