Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced Wednesday (September 16) entertainment venues like movie theaters and bowling alleys can reopen later this week at 50% capacity, according to NBC Miami on Thursday (September 17).
Gimenez cited the county's daily COVID-19 infection rate, which fell below 5%. He said he will sign an order that will go into effect Friday.
“They must follow the guidelines in place including, obviously, wearing masks, distancing of six feet, and special HVAC systems to bring more fresh air into those spaces," the mayor said.
While Gov. Ron DeSantis gave the green light for entertainment venues to reopen in South Florida, county leaders held off until now.
Bars and nightclubs are still closed, but the Miami-Dade mayor said he is meeting with bar owners later this week.
A new county COVID-19 app will also be rolling out this week, called "CombatCOVID MDC."
"The app uses bluetooth to determine if your device is near another device whose owner has identified as COVID-positive. It alerts you without disclosing their identity," according to NBC Miami.
Officials said the app requires no personal information and does not track location data. Information is encrypted, as well.
"The county will now also deploy eight testing vans to under-served areas. Each van has the capacity to test 250 people per day," the website said.
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