Broward County’s nightly curfew will be extended
Broward County’s nighttime curfew will be extended as Florida continues to battle a recordbreaking increase in COVID-19 deaths. But residents will no longer be responsible for making sure their guests wear masks.
The changes came in an order signed Wednesday by County Administrator
Bertha Henry. It extends the county’s curfew — from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily — through at least Monday.
The curfew, imposed 2½ weeks ago, was set to expire Saturday. Broward Mayor Dale Holness said it could be extended further, but there is no consensus among county leaders on how long to extend it.
The curfew is “something we believe has worked for us in reducing the number of parties that were happening overnight,” Holness said. “As a result of actions that we’ve taken, we’ve seen some leveling off of the spread of the virus.”
A curfew remains in effect indefinitely in MiamiDade County. Palm Beach County has never enacted one.
Florida added more
than 200 deaths to its lists of reported fatalities Wednesday, another record during the coronavirus pandemic.
Broward’s mask mandate remains in effect, but the new order clarifies that residents are not required to wear them inside their homes and are no longer responsible for making their guests wear masks.
State rules still prevent gatherings of more than 10 people if they aren’t from the same family, but it’s now the guests’ responsibility — not the resident’s — to ensure they wear a mask if they can’t socially distance by 6 feet.
The change came days after a Broward County resident sued the county over the provision making people responsible for their guests’ behavior.
The lawsuit claimed the requirement violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. Violators were subject to civil and criminal penalties, including a $1,000 fine for each violation.
Wednesday’s order also clarifies that outdoor, non-tented events are not permissible unless the county administrator approves an operating plan.
Rules for safety signs in English, Creole and Spanish also will now apply to all businesses, not just restaurants and retail shops.