03/17/2020
The City of Homestead declared a State of Emergency Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in response to the national and regional outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, COVID-19. By declaring a state of emergency, the City is ensuring ample time, resources, and flexibility to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and making sure safety and operations are not hindered or delayed. Emergency Management Staff in City of Homestead is in contact with Miami-Dade County, the State of Florida, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other agencies.
“In Homestead, we know it’s always better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best than to not be prepared,” said City of Homestead Emergency Manager Stephen Taylor. “While we don’t yet know how this situation will develop, the state of emergency allows us to act quickly in the best interest of our residents without the burden of bureaucracy.”
In the interest of public safety, the following measures have been implemented:
All City Facilities, except the Police Department, are closed to the public as of 5:00pm Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This includes City Hall, Development Services, Parks & Recreation, and the Solid Waste Drop Site. City Business such as permit applications and bill payments can be conducted online or over the phone. Visit www.cityofhomestead.com or call 305-224-4400 for more information.
All events hosted at City facilities have been canceled or postponed through April 15, 2020.
The Homestead National Parks Trolley service has been suspended until further notice.
The Seminole Theatre has suspended all events and performances through April 15, 2020.
The City will be following the guidance of Miami Dade County Public Schools on their extracurricular and sports policy. As such, the Police Athletic League (PAL) Gym and Roby George Park Pool are closed and all youth sports leagues and PAL afterschool programming have been suspended through March 29, 2020.
As of 11:00pm Tuesday, March 17, 2020 all food service establishments, bars, and clubs shall close their doors to on-premises service. Restaurant kitchens may remain open for takeout and delivery. In addition, movie theaters, gymnasiums, fitness studios, bowling alleys, concert houses, playhouses and arcades must also close.
Please note that pharmacies, gas stations, and grocery stores will operate as normal so there is no need to hoard supplies. City services such as Water, Electric, and Sanitation including garbage pickups are running as normally scheduled.
Those who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should call the Florida Department of Health Hotline at 1-866-779-6121. Additional information regarding COVID-19 may be found at www.cityofhomestead.com/coronavirus or www.flhealth.gov.
