The COVID-19 response in Miami-Dade has been to take one step forward, two steps back. And Monday’s decision to rollback the reopening of our economy was no exception.
At 10:15 a.m., financial experts were on Radio Caracol AM radio explaining the RISE Miami-Dade Fund program’s $25 million in low interest micro loans for local businesses that just became available 
Monday to help them stay afloat during the pandemic-caused economic crisis and survive beyond it (learn more at webinars Tuesday, at noon in English, 4 p.m. in Spanish on AxisHelps.org where people can learn more about exactly how to apply. Register at: axishelps.org/rise).
An hour later, at 11:15 a.m. Monday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced the re-closing of the reopening, going back to pre-Phase I, shutting down dining rooms in restaurants again, allowing only drive-through, delivery and take-out service as of Wednesday. He’s closing gyms and short term rentals like AirBnB, too.
Well, maybe. Don’t make any decisions based on what Gimenez says.
Because almost 12 hours later, just before 10 p.m., and presumably under intense pressure, Gimenez reconsidered his decision — why stop now? — and ruled that restaurants can still serve people outdoors. And have live, soft music.
“After discussions with our esteemed medical experts, the members of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, and the restaurant industry group, I have determined that my forthcoming emergency order will allow for outdoor dining, where possible, to continue, with restrictions that include tables of no more than four patrons, appropriate distancing, and music played at a level that does not require shouting, to prevent the emission of potentially dangerous airborne droplets,” Gimenez said in a email statement sent by his communications team.
Read related: Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez gets F for COVID19, A for coverage
But expect more changes to come. Ladra bets even before these new rollbacks take effect Wednesday. Nothing is ever set in stone. It’s more like Play-doh.
“As I continue to evaluate conditions in Miami-Dade County,” Gimenez said in his statement, “I will be seeking the input of our wellness group as well, and I will be making modifications accordingly that will put the least economic strain possible on our local businesses, while keeping the health and well-being of 
everyone in our community as the top priority.”
One has to wonder if he got a call from the owners of his favorite brunch spot, Greenstreet Cafe in Coconut Grove — where he was seen brunching with buddy Ralph Garcia-Toledo years ago (right) — begging to keep the outside tables, where groups have been seen sans masks and closer than six feet apart, according to social media posts by employees who have complained.
After all, Gimenez is a reactionary leader, knee-jerking to every little change, responding to his friends and family and donors, acting in a vacuum without talking to other community leaders or stakeholders that aren’t in his private boys’ club. How many times has he gone back and amended an executive order? How many times has he gone back and amended the amendment to an executive order?
“The county mayor hasn’t communicated with me, nor with many other municipal mayors about his decision,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said, also expressing concern over the back and forth.
“We need a long-term plan,” Suarez said. “To close to open to close to open is not a solution.”
How about some serious testing, Francis? That’s the best long-term plan we can have. National medical 
experts and scientists have been super clear in their guidance for reopening the economy in any community: There simply must be aggressive testing and contact tracing.
And we haven’t been able to get that right. People complain about waiting up to 11 days to get test results from the state-run county drive-throughs. Well guess what? Ladra got tested at the Hard Rock Stadium. In May. And there has been no follow up about the results. Nada. I hope that’s good news. Fingers crossed.
Especially as the number of positives stay high. According to the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, Miami-Dade residents have had over or almost 2,000 positive test results for the last five days. Sunday’s number was the first below 2,000 (at 1,984) since Wednesday of last week, when Miami-Dade residents consistently tested at about 25% positive. That’s one in four people. Look around you. if there are three people near you, one of you is likely sick.
And that was before a couple hundred scientists said over the weekend that this stuff is airborne.
Read related: COVID19 spike in Miami-Dade makes Mayor Carlos Gimenez warn businesses
Gimenez blames the recent spike on protests and the fact that we’re all losing focus. But he’s going to re-close the restaurants because… that’s where people go to eat after the protests? Or is it that they marched to the gyms? If outdoor contagion is unlikely at restaurants wouldn’t it be at protests also? Or is it, more likely, that he cannot admit that the rushed reopening before this community was ready is the real reason for the rise?
He wouldn’t be making any adjustments at all if the hospitals weren’t sounding the alarm about the ICU 
capacity filling up quickly with COVID19 patients. We’ve gone from having 75 people on ventilators two weeks ago to having 164 — more than twice that many — today, Suarez said.
“We are at the boiling point,” Suarez said. Different reports have ICU bed capacity anywhere from 70% to 83%. That’s not much of a margin.
So of course Mayor Gimenez is making moves. But why is the county commission letting him go nuts on us? This penchant for executive orders — wonder where he got that from? — needs to stop and the Miami-Dade Commission needs to act legislatively so that he can’t be the drunk, dysfunctional uncle who tells you the same story over and over again a couple different ways. Other municipalities have dealt with the crisis legislatively already. If we can have virtual meetings to discuss zoning issues, grants and contract extensions, our commissioners can certainly make decisions on something as important as COVID-19 testing and the reopening of the economy.
Read related: ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’ is so yesterday, says Carlos Gimenez, opening parks
“This could have been avoided if we had put in place the contact tracing and isolation strategies I called for early on in the pandemic, but these were ignored,”
Commissioner and mayoral candidate Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.
“Now our businesses and workers have to endure this economic pain yet again.”
What would Gimenez know about that? What would he know about 1099s and making payroll? Please don’t point to his administrative experience as a city manager. Because that doesn’t count. He has never worked in the private sector. He doesn’t know what it’s like to rehire your staff, retrofit your place of business so it meets the “new normal” guidelines and invest in new, safer processes only to have your establishment closed again.
Ooops. My bad.
“We have paid with pain and sacrifice and the lack of leadership means we will have to go back to close our businesses again,” Levine Cava said in her statement. “We can’t continue to fall into the trap that we have to choose between our economy or public health. We know by now that’s a false choice. Full economic recovery and controlling the spread of the virus go hand in hand.
“Furthermore, we are unlikely to receive additional recovery dollars from the Feds. It will fall on local government to absorb the cost and pay the price of a rushed and poorly planned opening.”
COVID-19 rollback reveals Mayor Carlos Gimenez is flying blind here added by Ladra on
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Joe,
I agree with you completely . Both my sisters live in California and what CNN / MSNBC won’t tell you is the massive unemployed , lost businesses due to their shut down .
The Mayor has yet to provide scientific evidence where eating inside a restaurant causes a risk of contracting COVID so he has no business shutting them down.
At the end of the day it’s trying to keep people alive, not well. If we had unlimited health care capacity we would’ve let this thing run its course. We never planned to stop it, (we can’t) but slow the curve meaning same number of infections just spread over more time The staggering the use of limited ICU capacity to give the most vulnerable a better chance of survival. there’s no guarantee of a vaccine and if it’s not Plan B is heard immunity over time.
So I’m OK with just keeping an eye on the ball. As staffed ICU beds become available crack the door open a little, When positivity numbers rise followed by increasing hospital admissions slam it shut. It’s not rocket science.
Steering the course just because that’s something someone decided on day one while ignoring situational dynamics is just hubris
” Gimenez blames the recent spike on protests and the fact that we’re all losing focus. But he’s going to re-close the restaurants because… that’s where people go to eat after the protests? Or is it that they marched to the gyms? If outdoor contagion is unlikely at restaurants wouldn’t it be at protests also? Or is it, more likely, that he cannot admit that the rushed reopening before this community was ready is the real reason for the rise?”
Agree , Gimenez like the rest of these WORTHLESS , self serving , pocket lining assorted Miami Mayors are only good at robbing us blind thus when a real problem / crises arises they freeze like crooks caught in head lights .
However I do not agree that opening the city ” quickly ” ( it was 3 months ) was the problem , look at CA who just opened up and think NY cases going up .
I do not care if we had been closed 6 months ( Miami would have been ruined ) it was countless not wearing the mask .
Until about a week ago , EVERY supermarket I went to even other stores I saw people who walking in with the mask only to remove it once inside the store .
I subscribe to open it all up ( so no Democrat ) and massive fine if you aren’t wearing the mask ( so no Republican) , Can’t stand the base in either party .
My cousin and his wife tested positive , they didn’t feel well and got tested but both had gone to Key west without masks to ” small ” get togethers and week or two later they got it .
Both in quarantine at home and for them its like a severe cold but now on the down slop and both feeling better but yes NOW they will wear the mask .
Though I used to ” argue ” with the Silver Sneakers bunch who go to gym I go to , We saw each other this am at gym and all said they will be voting against Gimenez and as everyone knows these older Cubans will tell you to go ” beep ” yourself if they do not agree , lol .
Over time we became friends and like last time I will miss them till I see them again.
Gym I go to is safer then the street as far as they enforce CDC rules there
Putting that aside I think this shut down will be the end for lots of places to eat and mom / pop businesses . Perhaps it won’t be long but doubt it as Gimenez takes his orders from CNN .
Miami Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is controlled by his Lawyer/Lobbyists pals who collect campaign cash to put in Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s war chest so he can continue to give favors to friends,Family,Consultants and the list goes on .He works for his Lobbyists not for the people that elected him ! Emperor Carlos Gimenez is a fake as well as a Phony person .It’s all about the money that Miami-Dade Mayor receives and all the favors that follow the money ! Miami Dade County Commissioner Suarez and any other potential Miami Dade County Mayor really needs to talk about all the corruption by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and how to have a real open Record request for anyone trying to receive public records without having to wait for months like a bunch of people have had to do .Mayor Carlos Gimenez is close to being out as Mayor and it can’t happen fast enough ! All his Lobbyists should be kissing his Ass for all the millions of dollars they made while he was in office. Mayor Carlos Gimenez has gotten diddly Squat compared to all the money his campaign friends have made through the years ! It just goes to show you how power hungry Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez really is !
Face IT ! We Have poor Choices in Politicians in Our Entire County and Cities in Miami Dade ,and #OURFUTURE is Not Better Just a Bunch of Worthless Politicians . The Water Warrior is Clue Less and Part of the PINOCCHIO Board ? ¡ MAY GOD HAVE HIS HAND IN OUR ELECTIONS !
Anyone who is on lockstep with the dodger-in-chief, the Neanderthal governor (no insult meant, Neanderthals), and the other two blood on their hands Rubio and Scott, have no soul. Their one common goal is to support their party and not the people of this great county/state/country.
How can you close restaurants and open beaches? I don’t get it! This has been poor planning by our local government!