News Flash

March 19, 2020

Interim City Manager, Arthur H. Sorey, III, declared a state of emergency in the city of North Miami on Friday, March 13, 2020. The city of North Miami is following the latest guidance from the CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Miami-Dade County regarding prevention measures for coronavirus (COVID-19). The North Miami Division of Emergency Management is currently monitoring the worldwide pandemic and would like to inform the public of the following:

• The NoMi Express Shuttle bus is operating as usual. Cleaning crews are disinfecting all transit vehicles daily. Riders are asked to use the NoMi Express for essential trips only, until further notice.
• Effective Friday, March 20, North Miami’s City Clerk’s Office will operate with adjusted hours. Services in the Clerk’s Office will be provided on business days from 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• The City Clerk’s Office will provide passport services only to persons with appointments. As a safety measure, appointments are required for anyone applying for new passports or passport renewals. Passport services will be suspended on business days, at 12:30 p.m. until further notice. To make an appointment, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 305-895-9817.
• The City of North Miami will follow the lead of Miami-Dade County in proceeding with the closure of all parks, beaches and recreational facilities in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County as of 9:00 p.m., March 19, 2020. This order shall apply to both publicly-owned and privately-owned parks, beaches, and recreational facilities. This order does not apply to parks, beaches, and recreational facilities under the jurisdiction of the state of Florida and the federal government.
• The City of North Miami will follow the lead of Miami-Dade County in ordering the closure of all non-essential retail and commercial establishments within the City.
• The city of North Miami will follow the lead of Miami-Dade County in allowing the continued operation of essential retail and commercial businesses as outlined by the County at https://www.miamidade.gov/information/library/coronavirusemergency-order-07-20-businesses.pdf. 
• Governor Ron DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The bridge loan program, managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), will provide short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury from COVID-19. The application period runs through May 8, 2020.
• DEO is currently surveying businesses throughout the state of Florida who have been impacted by COVID-19. Businesses and non-profits can access the Business Damage Assessment survey at FloridaDisaster.BIZ Select “COVID-19” from the drop-down menu on the survey page.
• If your employment has been negatively impacted as a result of the mitigation efforts in Florida to stop the spread of COVID-19, you may be eligible to receive Reemployment Assistance. Click the link below to learn more. http://www.floridajobs.org/Reemployment-Assistance-ServiceCenter/reemployment-assistance/claimants.
• The Florida Department of Health has launched a COVID-19 dashboard that will be updated twice daily with COVID-19 cases in Florida county by county.
• Governor Ron DeSantis ordered all bars and nightclubs to shut down for the next 30 days.
• Miami-Dade County signed an emergency order to close all restaurants, bars, gyms until further notice. Grocery stores, gas stations & restaurant kitchens will remain open for pickup and delivery services. (www.miamidade.gov)
• The North Miami Public Library, located at 835 NE 132 Street, is closed for faceto-face services until further notice. Limited services are available via phone (305- 891-5535) on an adjusted schedule from Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Library’s weekend schedule is suspended until further notice.
• During the closure of the North Miami Public Library, patrons are encouraged to take advantage of the library’s free apps and web-based resources that provide digital books, music, foreign language leaning, movies and more. A full list of digital offerings is available at www.northmiamifl.gov/nomilibrary.
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) will close all school sites until April 15th, due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Visit http://www.dadeschools.net/ or call 305- 995-3000 for updates. Parents may call 305-995-2623 or visit their child’s school to request computer devices for their child.
• For FPL customers experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19, resources are available to help, visit www.FPL.com/Help for more information. For now, FPL has suspended all disconnections through the end of March.
• Effective immediately, all public meetings, including the regularly scheduled council meeting on March 24th, are canceled.
• North Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is closed to the public until further notice.
• All youth programs in the City are canceled until further notice. We will continue to follow the lead of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS).
• Effective March 13th, all private City facility rentals have been canceled for 30 days. Please call 305-895-9840 for a refund or to reschedule on another available date.
• All city related travel has been canceled.
• City of North Miami administrative offices will remain open with restricted access. A rotating schedule with minimum staff was activated Monday, March 16th, to maintain usual business operations.
• In an abundance of caution, the city of North Miami is canceling all special events and City supported events until further notice.
• All Parks and Recreation, North Miami Public Library and Museum of Contemporary Art programs, activities, and events are canceled until further notice.
• All City sponsored senior citizen and adult programming is canceled until further notice.
• The North Miami Customer Service Center, located at 811 NE 125 Street, will remain open with restricted access. Residents are encouraged to use online resources.
• North Miami employees can access information specific to City operations by calling the Employee Information Hotline at 305-895-9804.

Individuals in Miami-Dade County who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should call the Florida Department of Health at 305-324-2400. If you have a medical provider, call them. If traveling to a medical office or facility, call ahead. For questions about COVID-19 in Florida, please call the Florida Department of Health at 1-866-779-6121. For a medical emergency, call 911.

Price Gouging Hotlines

Miami-Dade State Attorney Price Gouging Hotline: 305-547-3300
State Attorney General Price Gouging Hotline: 1-866-966-7226

Public Schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Hotline: 305-995-3000

North Miami Residents should stay tuned to local television and radio advisories, NoMi TV-77, (North Miami’s Municipal Cable Channel) or contact the 24-hour automated information line at 305-891-INFO (4636). Follow the City on social media for preventive tips and updates; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information about coronavirus (COVID-19), please visit www.northmiamifl.gov.