Miami-Dade mayor to allow gyms, fitness studios to remain open
MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez will now allow gyms to remain open in the county.
The mayor made the announcement on Twitter, Tuesday morning, reversing course from a statement he made on Monday.
“We’re all happy to comply, yes!” Salam Hachem, of She Fitness Studio, said.
Gyms were initially included in the types of businesses required to shut down in Miami-Dade beginning Wednesday.
However, Gimenez said that he came to a compromise on the matter and that people heading to the gyms will be required to wear masks the entire time they are inside the facility.
“Do I want to close the gyms? No, I didn’t want to close the gyms,” Gimenez said. “That’s why I found a compromise. It’s not about the cases that we know came from gyms or from restaurants, it’s about the fact that being able to keep the mask on in an interior space.”
The decision comes on the same day another 2,066 COVID-19 cases were reported in Miami-Dade County by the Florida Department of Health.
“We were freaked out yesterday, just because we didn’t expect that,” Gabriel Varona, of Stunna’s Fit, said. “No proof, no purpose, you know? It was like, ‘Why? Everything else is open.’ You know, Target, Home Depot, I mean, the malls are open! We understand that this is serious. Trust me, we’re all well aware, but we have to have a fighting chance to survive.”
Ballrooms, banquet facilities, party venues, short-term rentals and indoor dining rooms at restaurants will still be forced to close on Thursday.
“I just couldn’t find a way to keep restaurants open. It’s impossible,” Gimenez said.
Outdoor dining at restaurants will still be available, with no more than four people to a table. Takeout and delivery orders will still be allowed.
“I’m starting to get really concerned,” Igor Ferraro said. “This restaurant has many orders that are not meant to be takeout or delivery restaurants, you know?”
“If this continues to go on for as long as it’s gone on now and go further, our businesses will shut down permanently,” a woman said.
Gimenez said his decision came after what he called a “huge spike” in residents testing positive in mid-June, saying that is the time when gyms reopened, restrictions for restaurant operating hours were lifted and protests were occurring following the death of George Floyd.
“This contagion really took off with that young demographic, 18 to 34, 35 to 45 age group,” said the mayor. “It just shot up, and now we’re seeing the results of that.”
Meanwhile, State Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-Broward County, said he’s been fighting COVID-19 for around eight days.
“This morning I’m feeling just a tad bit better,” said Jones.
Jones said he’d like to see more changes being made statewide.
“If Broward is not following Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach is not following Broward County, all you’re going to see is individuals getting on 95 and traveling up north to go to dinner or to do other things, and so there should be a stay at home order until these numbers come back down,” he said.
Gimenez and his office are working to finalize the emergency order.
No changes are being made for Broward County as of Tuesday night.
https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade-mayor-to-allow-gyms-fitness-studios-to-remain-open/?fbclid=IwAR1lOyfzMbzbtOfyG0BautcTGyEb4jJ-orrIztdPq3MC8YaKnbmXUA0zr9I
