MIRAMAR, Fla. – With the COVID-19 positivity rate under 5% percent in Broward County, mayor Dale Holness is talking about taking the next step in reopening the county.
“We are at the point now where we can look to possibly to do some more openings so we can get the economy revived again,” Holness said Wednesday.
Positive coronavirus cases are declining and have have been for weeks now. Broward’s 14-day positivity rate has been hovering around 4.5 percent.
“It’s just slightly below 5%,” Holness said. "Any one day we can see it jump back up, that’s why we need a sustained period. Fourteeen days minimum is what is required [for Phase 2 of the reopening plan].”
Hospitalizations are also going down. The mayor credits people wearing masks, socially distancing themselves, and the work of code compliance.
Holness also touched upon a major event scheduled to take place next month, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, which draws people from all over the world to South Florida.
The boat show’s future still questionable, the mayor said. There will be a discussion about it Thursday at a county commission meeting. Right now it’s scheduled for Oct. 28-Nov. 1.
“They must put in place the most robust program to ensure that we curtail the spread of the virus and that the event doesn’t further contribute [to infections],” Holness said.
Holness will also be talking with the city mayors from across the county on Friday to discuss where they all stand when it comes to moving forward with the next phase of reopening.