Tuesday, December 8, 2020
We continue to provide our residents and businesses with the latest updates from the City of Miami Beach during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the latest news and updates below.

COVID-19 Updates

Message from the Mayor
View today's message from Mayor Dan Gelber below and read it in Spanish here.
South Beach Food Distribution
Commissioner David Richardson's office will host their weekly food distribution tomorrow, December 9 in North Beach.

Wednesday, December 9
9 AM - 11 AM
8700 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL

The food distribution is on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Please remain in your car and open the trunk when it's your turn in line.

If you do not have a car and would like to qualify for food assistance, please call or register online. Phone: 305.604.CITY (2489) or www.miamibeachfl.gov/food
Free COVID-19 Walk-Up Testing Available in North Beach
State Senator Jason Pizzo and Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg, in partnership with CDR Maguire: Disaster Health and Medical, have organized a FREE COVID-19 testing site Saturday, December 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at North Shore Branch Library (7501 Collins Avenue) to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in Miami Beach.

Saturday, December 12
9 AM - 1 PM
North Shore Branch Library | 7501 Collins Avenue

There is no pre-registration, no appointment and no physician referral necessary for this testing opportunity. Masks must be worn at the site and social distancing guidelines will be observed. Nasopharyngeal PCR tests are limited and will be conducted on a first come, first served basis to residents 18 years and older.
Fight the Spread
Fight the spread of COVID-19 in Miami-Dade County with your Bluetooth connection. CombatCOVID is a mobile application that uses Bluetooth to determine if your device is near another device whose owner has identified as COVID-19-positive so that you can get tested and keep safe. If you've tested COVID-19 positive, you can use CombatCOVID to discretely alert others to get tested without disclosing your identity.

With CombatCOVID, you can keep yourself and others safer while ensuring your privacy is protected.
  • No personal information is required
  • Information transmitted is encrypted
  • No GPS or location data is tracked

Learn more at miamidade.gov/combatcovid and download the app today.
COVID-19 Municipality Housing Assistance Program
Updated! Deadline to apply is December 30, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent economic impact, Miami-Dade County created the Municipality Housing Assistance Program (HAP) using CARES Act Funds.

The City of Miami Beach will be providing funding, which will be administered by the County, to relieve the financial burden of tenants and homeowners who have lost income due to COVID-19 and keep Miami Beach residents in their homes to support a strong recovery. The program is designed to support tenants and homeowners with up to six (6) months or $6,000 of past due mortgage or rental assistance. Funds will be paid directly to the landlord or mortgage lender in the form of a grant by Miami-Dade County, which must be used solely to provide rent or mortgage forgiveness in the same amount to eligible tenants or homeowners. This program is separate from the Miami-Dade County Residential Landlord/Tenant Rental Assistance Program and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Applicants can and should apply for both programs, but cannot receive duplicate aid for the same month(s).
 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online at www.miamidadecovidrelief.org to ensure prompt processing of their application and avoid the need to physically drop off the application and documentation. Click here to view additional details, including eligibility requirements. It is expected that at least 33 needy Miami Beach families will be able to be assisted through this program.
COVID-19 Testing
Drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing continues on 17 Street and Convention Center Drive.

We encourage you to pre-register for the walk-up site by clicking here or make your appointment for the drive-thru site here.

Visit our 'Testing' tab to view detailed testing information.
General City Updates
Commission Meeting
There will be a Commission meeting hosted virtually tomorrow, December 9 at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88178106930 The meeting will be streamed live on MBTV Channel 660 on Atlantic Broadband or 99 on AT&T U-Verse.

How to provide spoken public comment during the meeting: The public may provide spoken comment by dialing telephone 301.715.8592 or 888.475.4499 (toll free).  The Webinar ID is 881 7810 6930. Press *9 to raise a hand to be placed in queue to speak.
Pre-K Program Sessions
The City of Miami Beach is launching a Prekindergarten (Pre-K) Pilot Program for the 2021-2022 School year that will provide eligible Miami Beach Families with a Pre-K stipend of $2,700. We will host four informational sessions in English and in Spanish in the month of December.

Join via Zoom: https://bit.ly/2T91dqK

Learn more and view the family application here: www.miamibeachfl.gov/prek
Application deadline: January 4, 2021

Eligible Pre-K families are invited to partake in one of the following sessions*
  • Wednesday, December 9 | 11 AM – 12 PM  (English) | 12 PM – 1 PM (Español)
  • Tuesday, December 15 | 11 AM – 12 PM (English) | 12 PM – 1 PM (Español)
  • Thursday, December 17 | 11 AM – 12 PM  (English) | 12 PM – 1 PM (Español)
Holiday Drive-Thru Village
Join us at our interactive and safe drive-thru Holiday Village filled with festival installations, Santa and Mrs. Claus, lights, seasonal songs, photo opportunities and much more.

Be transported to a holiday getaway and wear your favorite holiday gear as you make your way through our magical village.

Saturday, December 12
6 PM - 8:30 PM
Scott Rakow Youth Center

Purchase your tickets at register.miamibeachparks.com, limited tickets are available, no refunds or credits.
Winter Camp with MB Parks
Beginning December 21 through December 31, the Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department will host a winter camp and camp for tots.

Winter Camp
Monday - Friday | 9 AM to 5 PM | Camp Locations: Flamingo Park, Scott Rakow Youth Center and North Shore Park Youth Center

Camp for Tots
Monday - Friday | 9 AM to 1 PM | Camp Location: South Pointe Park

Each camp is $165 for Miami Beach residents only. Register now at register.miamibeachparks.com.
Winter Camp
Camp for Tots
Board of Adjustment Meeting
There will be a Board of Adjustment meeting hosted virtually on Friday, December 11 at 9 a.m. via Zoom here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84133834919 The meeting will be streamed live on MBTV Channel 660 on Atlantic Broadband or 99 on AT&T U-Verse.

How to provide spoken public comment during the meeting: The public may provide spoken comment by dialing telephone 301.715.8592 or 888.475.4499 (toll free).  The Webinar ID is 841 3383 4919. Press *9 to raise a hand to be placed in queue to speak.
Virtual Ribbon Cutting: Collins Parks
Please join the City of Miami Beach to celebrate the opening of the city's newest parking facility -- Collins Park Garage. This long awaited project will also feature retail space on the ground level and the creation of a pedestrian plaza with the partial closure of Liberty Avenue between 22 - 23 streets.

Friday, December 11
3 PM

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this event will be closed to the public and hosted virtually on the city's Facebook account. For more information on this event, please contact Vanessa Vázquez at 786.599.6543 or vanessavazquez@miamibeachfl.gov.
No Vacancy - Art Week Miami Beach
In collaboration with the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority we've launched No Vacancy during Art Week Miami Beach!

No Vacancy is a juried art competition that celebrates artists, provokes critical discourse, and invites the public to experience Miami Beach’s famed hotels as destination art spaces. For the inaugural edition of No Vacancy, $25,000 in prizes will be awarded, divided between a $5,000 prize by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) determined by public vote and a $20,000 prize awarded by a jury of art experts.

Each selected artist received a stipend of $10,000 to realize their project. The winner of the Juried Prize will be announced on December 4, 2020, and the winner of the Public Prize will be announced on December 12, 2020. View all participating hotels and artists, after visiting the hotels, we invite you to cast your vote for your favorite work of art, here!

For a full line-up of this year's events/exhibits, visit our dedicated Art Week Miami Beach webpage.
Proposed Changes to the Weekend Schedule of the 63 Street Bridge
The U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) has proposed a new schedule for weekend openings of the 63 Street bascule bridge. The USCG conducted a review of the current weekend opening schedule and found that a change in the drawbridge schedule during weekends may better serve the needs of vehicular traffic while ensuring the reasonable needs of navigation are maintained. Currently, the bridge opens on demand on weekends.

Starting at 12:01 a.m. on December 14, 2020 through 11:59 p.m. on June 11, 2021, the bridge will operate on a new weekend schedule to test the general operations of navigation and vehicular traffic. The proposed weekend schedule is as follows:
  • From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Saturdays and Sundays, the drawbridge will open on the hour and half-hour (only if there is demand), except on federal holidays when the bridge will operate on demand.

Currently, the drawbridge schedule includes the following restrictions which will remain in effect:
  • From 7:10 a.m. to 9:55 a.m. and from 4:05 p.m. to 6:59 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, the bridge will not open for passage of vessels, except emergency vessels or tug and tow vessels.
  • In February of each year, seven days prior to the City of Miami Beach Yacht and Brokerage Show and the four days following the show, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the bridge will open for 10 minutes at the top of each hour. The bridge would follow normal schedule outside of those times.

An extension of the proposed weekend schedule beyond June 11, 2021 is subject to USCG review and approval. The City's Transportation Department staff will monitor the weekend operations of the bridge to gauge its impact on vehicular traffic.
North Beach CRA Redevelopment Plan Public Meeting
Join the City of Miami Beach for an update on the North Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (NBCRA) Redevelopment Plan. City staff along with the consultant will provide more details on the planning process.

Tuesday, December 15
5:30 PM

Join the meeting using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84700716304

Via phone: 312.626.6799 or 888.475.4499 (toll free)
Webinar ID: 847 0071 6304
Run with Ricky
Join Commissioner Ricky Arriola on Sunday, December 20 for a Run with Ricky! Get outside, meet your commissioner and enjoy a run throughout our neighborhood.

Sunday, December 20
10 AM

Location start/end: Muscle Beach | 873 Ocean Drive
MB Parks in Person Classes
Our recreation staff has brought back in-person classes to get you up and moving with yoga in the park, zumba and African dance & drums.
Free Yoga in the Park

Mondays & Wednesdays at 6 PM
Collins Park | 2100 Collins Avenue

Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6 PM
North Shore Park Bandshell | 7275 Collins Avenue
Zumba

North Shore Park Youth Center
501 72 Street
M/W/Th/F at 6:30 PM
$6 residents
501 72 Street

Scott Rakow Youth Center
2700 Sheridan Avenue
Tue/Th at 10 AM
$6 residents
African Dance & Drums

North Shore Park Youth Center
501 72 Street
2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month
6:30 PM
$6 residents
Stay Informed
Visit our dedicated, city-related coronavirus webpage at www.miamibeachfl.gov/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information, including important resources, impacts to city services and more.

Our city hotline at 305.604.CITY (2489) is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. You can also email your questions to MBCovid@miamibeachfl.gov. Or connect with us through social media via email, Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and via text message (text MBAlert to 888777).