Bar owners, happy patrons of Phase 3 reopening, city mayor concerned

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – On the Fort Lauderdale, different months. Will be located in different places will be different in different places will be different in different places will be different in different places will be different

“I’m healthy, I’m strong and I’m comfortable with all my friends,” said Dan Gibby, who set out for Saturday’s fun in the Elbow Room.

In an unexpected and surprise announcement on Friday, Governor Ron Desantis lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in Florida as the coronavirus spread in a move to revive the state’s economy.

With that green light, bars and clubs were allowed to reopen.

His three-page executive order also states that local municipalities cannot limit capacity. It also removed any penalties related to COVID-19. On Saturday, 2,795 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Florida, as well as 14,022 resident deaths and 168 non-resident deaths from COVID-19.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has little to worry about.

“One thing that worries me the most is our mask command. I really worry that the case is going to go ahead and then we may have to go back to a situation that we are working very hard to avoid. “

He added that the governor’s order was confusing and dangerous.

“It’s not very clear what can be done and what can’t be done,” Suarez said.

Fort Lauderdale also had an equivalent weight.

“It leaves us in a lot of wonder where are we going from here?” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trentalis said. “The governor’s order was so open that business owners had no direction on what to actually do.”

Five hours after the governor, Broward County issued a new executive order stating that the bar must still comply with distance requirements and capacity limits. The order licenses the sale of bars, pubs, nightclubs, adult entertainment establishments, banquet halls, breweries, cigar bars and any other organization that is licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations to sell food and / or alcohol. , Complies with County Emergency Order Annex 2.

“Rest is rent, just like small groups – I think that’s what we intend for the bar as well,” Trentalis said.

Both mayors said they expect new rules in the coming days.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Galber called Descentis’ move political – and unsafe in South Florida, which has the highest concentration of Covid-19 cases in the state.

“I don’t think anyone in Miami-Dade County would have known this was coming,” Galber said. “I think we were going in the right direction. The governor just wants to follow Trump’s lead as much as possible. ”

In Davy, Debbie Quale, owner of Geffers Pub, said the small, family-run business suffers financially from the epidemic.

“We have to pay the rent, the electricity, all the bills. If it were too long, we wouldn’t be here, “said Qules.

The pub had been closed for six months so reopening called her a life saver.

“Safety is a priority,” he said.

“Everyone here is careful,” said Bob Vaughn, patron of the regular Geffers Bar.

Trentalis hopes people continue to stay awake and safe.

For not continuing to respect safety protocols – bar owners, bar patrons, large-scale communities – it doesn’t do anyone any good.

(Stay Tude: There will be more on what happens locally in Phase 3 on Local 10 News at 11 a.m. after the game at Hatzel Vella)

Related: Decentis’s latest executive order, see Broward County Emergency Order below: