Dear Colleagues,

As the rules change or evaporate, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs is continuing to receive COVID-19 inquiries, especially regarding indoor performance and meeting venues.

As a result of Executive Order 21-101 issued on May 3, 2021 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, local governments, including Miami-Dade County, cannot mandate requirements for these public gathering spaces.  However, the County can provide you with guidance and recommendations that you are free to use and publicly reference as such. It is important to note that as the public health situation evolves, this advice is likely to change.

For now, we have conferred with our colleagues at Jackson Memorial Hospital and based on current, improving health conditions, we can provide the following guidance for indoor performance and meeting venues:

• Physical Distancing You can use a standard of 3 feet for physical distancing for seating, queuing, etc.;
• Face Masks We are recommending that audiences (and staff) wear face masks – performers/presenters who have been vaccinated, who have tested negative for COVID-19 or who can physically distance can be on stage without a mask;
• CDC and the Honor System We understand that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that people who are vaccinated have the option not to wear face masks and people who are not vaccinated should wear face masks. We also know that we cannot ask people to show proof of vaccination so adopting the CDC guidelines depends on your comfort level and your audiences’ comfort level with the “honor system;”
• Who Makes the Rules It is our understanding that non-governmental venues (i.e., nonprofit and private facilities) largely can make their own rules including those for the use of face masks (i.e., they can make it a requirement, can use the CDC guidelines, or make it completely optional); and
• Messages to Audiences We urge you to strongly encourage audiences and visitors to get vaccinated and to continue to use other COVID-19 preventative health measures like hand washing and hand sanitizer stations (these actions tend to build confidence in eventgoers).

The safety and wellbeing of audiences, artists, presenters, and staff remains first and foremost for all of us. In considering this priority and the latitude that we have regarding preventative measures, we must also gauge what audiences and participants are now ready to accept to come back to our venues and events.

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava continues to urge residents to get vaccinated.  For the latest information on COVID-19 vaccination sites, please visit miamidade.gov/vaccine.

Michael, does this mean we can reopen and start planning events?

Yes, private commercial and nonprofit cultural facilities and spaces are now allowed to open. We strongly encourage you to follow the above recommendations. These are not easy decisions; so, we are hoping that the guidance above gives you some help. We also remain optimistic that this moment of uncertainty is one of transition – we expect that in a few months, things will become better and clearer.

We will continue to update you on this evolving situation and remain committed to helping you as much as we can.

Stay safe and healthy.

Michael Spring

Director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

The most reliable way to contact us continues to be through email. You can find a staff directory at  https://www.miamidadearts.org/about/staff-councils.

Please check the County’s web site for more COVID-19 information and for regular updates:  miamidade.gov/coronavirus.

To view a comprehensive list of all the Department's previous cultural updates on COVID-19 click here.