Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis announced that restaurants, retail stores, and salons can reopen on Monday, May 18.
Masks must be worn by staff and guests at these businesses. Hand-sanitizer must be available throughout workplaces, and regular cleaning as well as more intense cleaning for high-traffic areas are also necessary.
Restaurants and retail stores will be allowed to reopen at half capacity. Restaurants need to seat tables 6 feet apart and parties greater than 10 will not be allowed. Bars, salad bars and buffets will remain closed. Disposable, single-use menus and reservation-only systems are required if possible.
The mayor recommended that retail stores designate special shopping hours to the elderly and medically vulnerable.
Barbers, hair and nail salons must have their stations 6 feet apart and they have to be cleaned after every guest. Employees must wash their hands after each guest an discard items like files and buffers after.
The number of positive cases has dropped in Fort Lauderdale, and the hospital system is back to treating all patients without crisis care.
The mayor also said that the city's expectation is to allow passive recreation on the beach within the next couple of weeks, but for now, they remain closed.
