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Fight over gyms erupts in Broward

By Kevin Gale

Gov. Ron DeSantis gave the OK for gyms to open in the state on Monday and so did Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis for his city

However, Broward County still wants them closed, which makes for a confusing start to phase one in Broward County.

Broward Vice Mayor Steve Geller told the Sun Sentinel the county could take the city to court.

Mall giant Simon announced it will reopen the following properties at 11 a.m. today:   Coral Square, Dadeland Mall, The Falls, Florida Keys Outlet Marketplace, Miami International Mall, and Sawgrass Mills.

The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale said it would open at 11 a.m. as well.

Westfield Broward, which has a different owner, will re-open on Friday.

Restaurants in the region are generally opening at up to half capacity, but the mayors of Hialeah, Miami Beach and Miami said  reopening of dining in at restaurants in their cities won’t happen until Wednesday, May 27, the Miami Herald reported. Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens and Miami Beach won’t reopen nonessential retail establishments until Wednesday, too.

The governor said last week that health metrics in counties around the state that have had a phase one opening have been encouraging. That’s affirmed by a state Department of Health website, which shows drops in ER visits for COVID-19 symptoms and a lower percentage of positive test results. For May 16, the state website shows one death, which is a contrast to 57 on May 4.

There was a spike to 1,200 new cases on May 16, the website shows, but the question is how much of that might be due to more widespread testing, which means more asymptomatic infectees are being discovered. The next few weeks will be crucial to show whether moving into phase one is happening without an alarming uptick in new cases and visits to ERs.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the Miami-Dade reopenings will include restaurants, warehouses, manufacturing, office buildings, and a specific list of small businesses.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that we’re not we’re not talking about opening all businesses yet,” he said. The closed list includes spas, bars, gyms, movie theaters, bowling alleys, pools, tattoo shops and massage parlors. Public swimming pools and  beaches will remain closed until May 26.

DeSantis gave the OK for Palm Beach County beaches to reopen.

Broward will have a similar approach, Mayor Dale Holness said. The one exception he mentioned was a plan to allow homeowners association or apartment complexes to have their gyms open with safety measures in place.

Henry’s order also says public pools and private club pools can open, with restrictions.

Gimenez described a color code similar to the travel advisory system to describe what’s happening. Red represented the biggest shutdown. Orange represented the reopening of parks, marinas and golf courses. The stage on Monday will be the yellow stage.

Miami-Dade county has a “New Normal” web page with details to help guide businesses and the public. There is a 184-page downloadable PDF that breaks down protocols for different businesses, such as office spaces, shopping centers, warehouses, retail, restaurants. There are also guidelines for arts and culture.

 

 

 

 

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.