Miami issued an emergency order on Thursday mandating that people wear masks in public or face a fine up to $500, following a surge in coronavirus cases in Florida.
The mask order took immediate effect around 5 p.m. Thursday and requires anyone in public spaces in the city of Miami to wear face masks, the Miami Herald reports. There are a few exemptions, however, including children under age 2, people with disabilities that prevent the wearing of a face mask and people exercising outdoors with appropriate social distancing.
Those without masks in public will first be issued a verbal warning, while a city worker will provide them with a free mask, the city announced on its website. The next offense carries a $50 fine, while a third offense costs $150. A fourth offense will carry a fine of $500 — and a promise to appear in court.
Beaches in Miami-Dade County will also be closed down for the Fourth of July weekend due to the recent spike in coronavirus cases, county Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced on Friday.
The closure will run from July 3-7, though it could be extended “if conditions do not improve and people do not follow New Normal rules requiring masks to be worn always inside commercial establishments and outdoors when social distancing of at least 6 feet is not possible,” Gimenez said in a statement.
Halsey Beshears, the secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, later clarified on Twitter that the ban is only limited to bar establishments and "nothing changes for restaurants."
Under Florida's previous emergency orders, bars and restaurants were ordered to run at 50 percent of normal capacity, with patrons sitting at tables at least six feet apart.
However, according to Beshears, his department found that too many bars and patrons were breaking the rules when the state lifted its stay-at-home restrictions. “This was more than we could keep up with,” he told Associated Press. “Sadly, 90 percent are getting it right. It’s the other 10% that are ruining it for everybody."
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.
Source: Read Full Article