Government meetings are cancelled; 11 p.m. curfew ordered for businesses

Many, if not all, government meetings will be postponed or cancelled for the next week or two and there will be a countywide 11 p.m. curfew on bars and restaurants to try to stop community spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Miami-Dade, Miami, Coral Gables and Bay Harbor Islands, as well as other cities, were cancelling meetings and programs last week and over the weekend, as the numbers of infected in the state and the county increased. As of Sunday night, there were 122 COVID-19 cases in Florida, with 39 new cases reported in just 24 hours. In Miami-Dade, the number jumped from eight to 13 overnight.

But many more are suspected to have it, because symptoms may not show right away or at all, authorities say.

“We want to tap down those numbers quickly,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who pooh-poohed the pandemic until he was exposed by a Brazilian delegate at a business summit last week. He has since tested negative, but he’s suddenly taking it very seriously.

Gimenez last week — after first being critical of Miami’s event cancellations, and saying they were overreacting — nixed the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair, the Miami Open tennis tournament, the MIA 5K run and all major events at the American Airlines Arena. The March 22 NASCAR race at the Homestead Miami Speedway is postponed and could be cancelled. Cruise operations at the Port of Miami are suspended for 30 days.

Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent also cancelled public schools a day after he said there was no need to — que papelaso!

In a video released Sunday, Gimenez — from his Coconut Grove home where he is in isolation por si las moscas — said county park and library programs and events are also cancelled and that comedores, the adult activity centers where the county’s elderly often go for programming, health screenings and a free lunch, were going to close Monday afternoon and that seniors would get a week’s worth of meals and/or meals delivered at their homes.

He also said that he was ordering all bars and restaurants to close at 11 p.m. Kitchens could remain open and food deliveries were encouraged. Bars, clubs, restaurants and movie theaters across the county are ordered to cut their capacity by 50% so “patrons can practice social distancing, leaving about six feet from one another,” Gimenez said. Even so, they are not allowed to have more than 250 people at once — no matter what their capacity is.

“We want to ensure people are not packed into these venues,” the mayor said.

But Ladra thinks it is a matter of days before these venues shut down for weeks, too.

Grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations will continue to remain open, Gimenez said, urging people not to panic and sounding like the only adult in the room. “The food chain is operating without problems,” he says, encouraging organizations to have virtual or telephonic meetings and reminding viewers that many county offices can conduct business online. Many county employees, he said, would work from home in the cases they can.

“You can expect as more people get tested, the number of positive tests will rise,” Gimenez said, adding that 80 percent of cases are easily cured or asymptomatic and that only 3 percent are critical.

Still, the presidential primary will go on. All precincts will be open on Tuesday and equipped with hand sanitizers and have deep daily cleaning, the mayor added. Except two have moved in Bay Harbor Islands, where a town employee who works at the Community Center and the after-school program at Ruth K. Broad K-8 center has tested positive for COVID-19. That person is isolated and receiving medical care in Broward County. The town has closed Town Hall, the building department, the Morris N. Broad Community Center and all town parks and is updating information on its website. The precincts that would have voted at Town Hall and the Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center will have to vote at the Senator Gwen Margolis Community Center, 1590 NE 123 St., in North Miami.

Ladra suspects that turnout is going to be abysmally low anyway. Gimenez said he will make a determination on whether or not libraries stay open after Tuesday, after Tuesday. He’ll be available by Skype.

Miami-Dade Commission Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson announced Sunday evening that “out of an abundance of caution and due to the existing state of emergency declarations at the national, state and local levels,” all of next week’s meetings are cancelled — even the special meeting they were going to have Tuesday on, that’s right, the coronavirus.

And it was going to be a busy week. Cancelled are:

Monday’s Tourism and the Ports Committee meeting
Tuesdays Board of County Commissioners meeting
Tuesday’s special meeting regarding COVID-19
Wednesday’s CDMP meeting
Thursday’s Zoning meeting

That means the item on the request to lift the 99-year covenant on the Calusa Golf Course, which most residents are against, will have to be put off for a third time. Last time, the commission failed to have a quorum. But this does give the group against it more time to collect more signatures on their petition.

“Miami-Dade County officials continue to work diligently with local, state and federal agencies to monitor and minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus here in Miami-Dade County,” Edmonson said in a statement.

In Miami, where the Ultra Music Festival and Calle Ocho was already cancelled, city leaders decided to cancel two weeks of meetings, said Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who reportedly tested negative for the virus after being exposed to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who tested positive.

“We are about to issue a curfew and other limitations on gatherings and establishments,” Diaz de la Portilla told Ladra in a text message Sunday evening. “We are cancelling all meetings for the next two weeks. We may need to meet to extend the curfew. Waiting on the city attorney to give us an opinion if we can meet remotely.”

Miami City Attorney Victoria Méndez told reporters one Thursday that the city was working with Gov. Ron DeSantis on some kind of state-of-emergency plan for elected officials to meet via telephone or video conference, which isn’t allowed right now, to slow community spread.

Or slow transparency. Or democracy. Or dissent.

This is a terrible idea. First off, we don’t know who could be whispering into the commissioner’s ear, making this promise or that threat if the vote doesn’t go a certain way. South Miami Commissioner Josh Liebman phones in his vote sometimes and Ladra thinks that should be illegal.

Secondly, how are the residents and affected citizens supposed to participate?

ADLP assured Ladra that it would not be a full agenda. “It would be to deal with emergency measures exclusively. All other items can wait,” he texted.

When Ladra asked how the decision was made, Diaz de la Portilla said, “These are collective decisions made by our leaders. We are trying to keep the city safe.” ADLP further explained that the “collective decisions” (how many?) were made vís-a-vís City Manager Art Noriega.

He also said “everything will be noticed and in the sunshine. We will keep the public informed.”

Ladra hopes so, because it also could be an opportunity to “get one by” in zoning or procurement, like an emergency contract that must be awarded now for a pressing need.

In Coral Gables, Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli also declared a state of emergency and Vice Mayor Vince Lago told Ladra that all board meetings and quasi-judicial meetings were cancelled through March. A commission meeting scheduled for next week is still possibly on, but the city is taking it “day by day and monitoring the country and federal guidelines,” Lago said. Ladra bets they cancel the meeting. What could possibly be so important?

The Farmer’s Market and sports tournaments are suspended. The Adult Activity Center, Merrick House, the passport acceptance facility and Venetian Pool are all closed until further notice.

As of last week, the tennis centers, the War Memorial Youth Center and the Granada Golf Course would remain open and the city’s trolley and Freebee services would continue. The city, which was concentrating on getting the needs of the elderly taken care of, will post updates on its website.

Lago also had to cancel his open door office hours on Friday after Mayor Suarez dropped by late at his fundraiser on Wednesday and then tested positive on Thursday.

As of Sunday, Lago did not know if the test he took at a Baptist outpatient facility in downtown Coral Gables on Friday was positive or negative. It could take until Tuesday to know.

The vice mayor, his father, his brother and his brother’s wife, all came into contact with Baby X — who is documenting his quarantine in a video diary — the day before he tested positive.

“The next day we found out about the mayor’s exposure and that he was going to get tested. Immediately, I went home and started the process of finding somewhere to be tested,” said Lago, whose father is a physician. “We called various numbers but they were very busy and I understand. Anyone who has a cough is going to be calling. People are nervous.

“I’m nervous too, with two young kids,” Lago said, adding that his brother found the facility at 10 Giralda. “We were one of the first patients there,” Lago said, adding that he called everyone who stayed late at his event and may have come into contact with Mayor Suarez. He also paid his co-pay out of his pocket and said he got no special treatment.

“To be honest, they weren’t really ready,” Lago said. He tested negative for influenza, but the Center for Disease Control protocol for who gets tested for COVID-19 is (1) first-hand or second-hand exposure (2) length of exposure (3) showing symptoms, and (4) if your immunity is compromised or you have an underlying condition that could complicate things. Some or a combination of those things could get your test approved. Lago said he was told on Saturday afternoon that he qualified.

“Now, it’s a waiting game,” he said. “But I feel confident. Everybody around Francis has tested negative.”

That includes, according to reports and social media posts, the mayor’s wife, ADLP and commissioners Joe Carollo and Manolo Reyes as well as City Manager Art Noriega and City Attorney Victoria Mendez. Several city staffers who had contact with Suarez Wednesday and Thursday were not automatically tested. They were just told to self isolate and report any symptoms.

Lago said that, regardless of the results, he still plans to stay home for the next 14 days and read, relax and conduct business from his garage. He is setting an example, he said, for others who can do the same as government leaders urge people who can do so to work from home and avoid others to contain the community spread.

“This is our best line of defense,” Gimenez said in his video. “Young people must also take personal responsibility because they can carry it,” and give it to older and more vulnerable people.

“These are difficult times but they are not insurmountable. We have to take bold steps to ensure the health of all our residents and that starts with you,” Gimenez said, sounding like a congressional candidate.

“Be patient as we adjust to these temporary changes,” he said. “Remember, the most effective way to beat this virus is our own personal behavior and following the recommendations of medical experts.

“With your help we can move quick out of this new normal and get back to business as usual,” he said.

Meanwhile, and until further notice, in case anyone was wondering, is HistoryMiami Museum, the Perez Art Museum Miami and the Frost Museum of Science. All performances at the Actor’s Playhouse have been suspended until at least Feb. 3.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should call the Florida Department of Health at 305-324-2400.

Yes, it might ring for a while or be busy. Keep trying.

Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Carlos Gimenez, coronavirus, COVID-19

Government meetings are cancelled; 11 p.m. curfew ordered for businesses added by Ladra on March 15, 2020
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