Initial Reopening Plan

Phase 1 of allowing the reopening of certain businesses began on May 18, 2020. Non-essential businesses can open with stringent capacity and safety rules in place.

While designated businesses will be permitted to open, they are not required to open. Furthermore, if current conditions change, this date may be moved out. Once we move into the Yellow flag phase, if we experience a surge in cases, we may be required to return to the Orange flag phase. Should this happen, we will communicate this to the community with adequate time to prepare prior to the effective date.

Points in bold MUST be followed; other recommendations are strongly suggested.

Emergency Order 24-20 HTML | PDF
Emergency Order 23-20 HTML | PDF
- Amendment 1 to Emergency Order 23-20 HTML | PDF
Read the report: The New Normal - A Guide for Residents and Commercial Establishments
Send a question or a suggestion about the New Normal Guide to [email protected]

Color Identification System

The color flag identification system below will be used to communicate each day where we are on the continuum of the New Normal. Depending upon the situation, we may take intermediate steps between these phases, but knowing what color phase we are in will help you navigate your activities.

RED: Most stringent closures; only essential businesses open; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place

ORANGE: Parks and open spaces open; preparations taking place to reopen other sectors with strict capacity requirements in place; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place

YELLOW: Limited opening of non-essential businesses and other facilities; strict capacity requirements in place; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place

GREEN: More expansive opening of businesses and facilities; capacity requirements expanded; social distancing and facial covering requirements in place

BLUE: New Normal is in place; all businesses and facilities open; social distancing and facial coverings encouraged

Personal Protective Equipment

Miami-Dade County will make every effort to ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) is available for purchase by businesses and commercial establishments who cannot access supplies. This does not include establishments included in Emergency Order 03-20, other than restaurants, Emergency Order 09-20 and Emergency Order 15-20. Decisions will be made in the coming weeks regarding moving to the next phases of re-opening and communicated with adequate time to prepare.

General Guidelines

Emergency Order 20-20 was originally implemented at 11:59 p.m. on April 9, 2020. This Emergency Order is the guiding order for all residents and businesses and promulgates requirements that are in place regardless of where you visit.

People must follow the social distancing and facial covering and personal protection equipment (PPE) guidelines as defined by our Emergency Orders, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and consistent with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other regulatory guidelines:
- Gatherings of fewer than 10 people
- Six foot distance between people
- Wear facial coverings
- Wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer often
Facilities must implement certain procedures:
- Enhanced sanitizing of all common areas and frequent touch points
- Placement of trash containers for face masks and other PPE near exits and entrances and other common areas
- Comprehensive cleaning of facilities must be performed each night and include thoroughly disinfecting all frequent touch points and emptying all trash receptacles using solid waste bags that are double-bagged and securely sealed
- Posting CDC signage in publicly-trafficked locations emphasizing measures to "Stop the Spread of Germs" and to exercise social responsibility
- Upgrading or installing ventilation per OSHA guidance
- Designating quarantine rooms for infected individuals and deep clean after use
- Installing hand sanitizer at entry points and through site
- Training all personnel in new operating protocols and modifications to existing codes of conduct to deal with COVID-19 issues
Businesses and workplaces must implement certain procedures:
- Designing work group shifts to minimize contacts between employees and ensure easier tracking and tracing, as possible, and implement staggered breaks to reduce large group gatherings
- Avoiding meetings of more than five participants and encouraging virtual meetings
- Reducing seating in breakrooms and common areas to ensure minimum six feet of physical distance
- Allowing non-core functions to work from home, as possible
- Implementing testing programs for high risk employees
- Establishing clear reporting protocols based on leading (e.g., thermometer temp spikes, thermal scanning spikes, increased absenteeism) and lagging indicators (e.g., staff health visits above pre-defined rate, community spread in retailer locale) to help prevent spread of cases
- Posting a contact email address and/or telephone number for employees / customers to contact if they have questions or concerns
- Any establishment that has an on-site employee or contractor who tests positive shall close for the shorter of:
  - the time needed for all staff to be tested and the establishment to be deep-sanitized; or
  - 14 days from the date such employee or contractor was last onsite at such establishment.
- Where an establishment has multiple floors or structures, only those structures or floors where the infected person was present are required to be sanitized as a condition of re-opening, and only those employees working in such structures or on such floors must be tested.

General Reopening Guidelines

- Facial coverings must be worn inside businesses and commercial establishments or wherever social distancing is not possible
- Mandatory 14-day quarantine for all at-risk employees
- Provide or coordinate safe transportation to work allowing for social distancing
- Allow for flexible schedules for childcare and sick time
- Staggered breaks to reduce large group gatherings
- Install hand sanitizer at entry points and through site
- Enforce personal protective equipment (e.g., face masks, gloves)
- Ensure employees (and customers) stay more than 6 feet apart (use visual markers to help with implementation)
- Enhanced sanitization of all common areas / touch points (doors, stairwell handles, light switch, elevator switch, etc.)
- Procure increased amounts of soap, hand sanitizer, cleaning materials and protective equipment
- Visually mark separation six feet apart for areas where people would group (e.g., queues and elevators)
- Discourage entry to site of visitors and contractors, unless needed for operations
- Discourage car valet parking
- Set up self-checkout lines and contactless payments, as applicable
- Upgrade/install ventilation including HVAC filters per OSHA guidance
- Clean and disinfect bathrooms every two to three hours
- Eliminate the use of common water fountains and interactive displays
- Limit capacity of elevators to ensure social distancing
- Designate quarantine rooms for infected individuals and deep clean after use
- Require non-core functions to work from home, as possible
- Avoid meetings of more than five participants, encourage virtual meetings
- Reduce seating in breakrooms / common areas to ensure minimum six feet of physical distance. If not possible, close common areas
- Prior to reopen, flush plumbing and run water in sinks to eliminate stagnant water from the period of mall/store’s closure
- Post CDC signage in publicly trafficked locations emphasizing measures to "Stop the Spread of Germs" and to exercise social responsibility
- Train all personnel in new operating protocols and modifications to existing codes of conduct to deal with COVID-19 issues
- Design work group shifts to minimize contacts between employees and ensure easier tracking and tracing, as possible
- Implement testing programs for high risk employees (e.g., frequent contact with customers or suppliers)
- Acknowledge in writing the review and understanding of relevant industry association and union organizations guidelines, including capability checklists and reference to WHO, DOH and CDC guidelines
- Establish protocol to immediately disclose infection to state DOH bodies and procedure to safeguard store (e.g., deep cleaning)
- Setup clear reporting protocols based on leading (e.g., thermometer temp spikes, thermal scanning spikes, increased absenteeism) and lagging indicators (e.g., staff health visits above pre-defined rate, community spread in retailer locale)
- Post a contact email address and/or telephone number for employees /customers to contact if they have questions or concerns
- Any establishment that has an on-site employee or contractor who tests positive shall close for the shorter of:
  - the time needed for staff who were in contact with the positive employee or contractor to be tested and cleared by a medical professional as being COVID-19 free and the establishment to be deep-santized;
  - 14 days from the date such employee or contractor was last on-site at such establishment, if deep-santization is not performed.
- An establishment shall be deemed to have complied with the above if, after deepsantizing, employees who were in contact with the positive employee or contractor do not report to work for 14 days after the date the positive employee or contractor was last on-site
- Where an establishment has multiple floors or structures or square footage of more than 10,000 feet, only those structures, floors or areas where the infected person was present are required to be sanitized as a condition of reopening, and only those employees working in such structures, floors or areas must be tested. All employees who came into personal contact with the positive employee must be tested or, in the absence of a test, be excluded from the premises for 14 days after the date the positive employee was last onsite.
- Under no circumstances shall an employee or contract who tested positive report to work at an establishment until that employee is cleared by a medical professional as being COVID-19 free.

Resources for Businesses

Business Establishment Designation
Control and Prevention of COVID-19 (OSHA)
COVID: Guidance for Businesses & Employees (FDH)
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (OSHA)
Guide to Cleaning & Disinfecting (CDC)
Products for Use Against SARS-COV-2 (EPA)

Mayor's Emergency Orders

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Elected Officials

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Miami-Dade County

Initial Reopening Plan

Color Identification System

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Personal Protective Equipment

General Guidelines

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Procedures for Facilities

Procedures for Businesses and Workplaces

General Reopening Guidelines

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Resources for Businesses

Mayor's Emergency Orders

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