Curfew Gets In The Way Of Businesses Ready For Reopening Of Miami-Dade Beaches
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Anticipation was there before the weekend. Hotels and beaches were set to reopen Monday, bringing visitors back to Ocean Drive. But a curfew went into effect, keeping those plans from coming to fruition.
"People have stayed in their houses. They were afraid to come out," said Jorge Marroon, a server at Cafe Milano which has been open since last week. "These past two days there have been less people than last week."
He was one of many eager workers ready to see the beaches and hotels open, since more people here could mean more money for them.
Daisy Vetreyes works at News Cafe.
"For sure the businesses were used to having it full of customers but now there's nobody anywhere," she said.
Businesses are not the only ones disappointed. People are upset too. Those that live here and those who may have planned to come here but now are staying home.
It's a challenge the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau has been trying to overcome.
The #MiamiShines campaign is something the bureau has started. They want people to get excited about vacation to Miami.
They want to reopen, but do it safely. That's something Mitch Novak from the Sherbrooke Hotel is concerned about.
"I have decided not to reopen and will evaluate the situation towards the end of the month," he said.
It's a decision he made a while ago as he monitored the coronavirus. He's kept his staff who like everyone else here is ready to welcome back customers
"When the beaches reopen I hope everyone comes to Cafe Milano!" said Marroon.
The curfew went into effect this past weekend and remains in effect this week. All Miami-Dade County beaches remain closed for the duration of the order.
More information on the #MiamiShines Campaign, click here.
