Miami-Dade orders masks in grocery stores, restaurants to slow coronavirus spread

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered Thursday all county residents to wear a mask when going into certain public spaces to slow the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

In a video published on Twitter, Gimenez said he met with the Miami-Dade League of Cities to clarify the use of masks. The order defines a mask as a “covering which snugly covers the face and mouth” and which is secured with “ties or ear loops.”

“It will apply to people working in or visiting grocery stores, restaurants, take-out counters, pharmacies, construction sites and those folks taking public transit or vehicles for hire,” Gimenez said.

The order will go into effect Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Children under 2 will not be required to wear a mask or people who have trouble breathing with a face covering because of a pre-existing condition.

Miami mandates face masks inside grocery stores and pharmacies to curb coronavirus

The county order catches up to similar actions taken by Miami Beach, Cutler Bay and Aventura to mandate facial coverings from customers and employees alike. On Wednesday, Miami was the latest city to escalate its mask ordinance. On Thursday, Hialeah ordered all people out in public in the city to cover their mouth and nose with a mask.

“I want to remind everyone that while wearing a mask can help for close encounters, you must continue to practice social distancing. We do not want you to have a false sense of security by solely wearing a mask,” Gimenez said. The order specifies that residents should not use N95 masks, which are in short supply for medical staff and first responders.

On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised cities taking steps to mandate masks at a press conference in Miami Beach, saying the order “will cut down on the transmitability” of the coronavirus.

Read the full order here.