Restaurants Must Now Close In-Room Dining By Midnight in Miami-Dade County

Last night, Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Gimenez issued an order that would close all on-site dining in restaurants from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. daily. The order applies to restaurants that seat more than eight people, and goes into effect this evening at 11:59 p.m.

Gimenez cited the large spike in coronavirus cases — surging past 35,000 in Miami-Dade County alone, with the majority of Floridians aged 18-44 having the most new infections in recent weeks — as the reason for the crack down.

“Too many people were crowding into restaurants late at night, turning these establishments into breeding grounds for this deadly virus,” Gimenez said in a statement.

Restaurants can still offer takeout and delivery past midnight, but in-room dining is prohibited. This new order also affects establishments like diners and fast-food restaurants.

This new order is in addition to Gimenez’s other order this week barring establishments from selling alcohol between 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m. daily. Neither order has an end date at the current moment.

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