By Nicole Valdes
As we all know, Miami is a vibrant city that is home to many attractions and fun places to visit, with a multi-cultural environment featuring a variety of restaurants where one can enjoy a nice brunch or dinner with friends. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, many places have closed or implemented safety measures according to safety orders from The Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
This has caused a major change to many people’s lifestyles as limitations became mandatory for preventing the spread of Coronavirus, especially since Miami was at one point considered the epicenter of the virus, with 282,435 cases and 4,277 deaths during the month of July alone.
Due to these changes, the vivid and youthful scene in Miami has diminished as college students are forced to stay home and be mindful of their safety. Although it took a while for confirmed cases to lessen—due to students coming from out of state to enjoy spring break at the beach and refusing to follow health and safety guidelines—some have used common sense and cooperated with Miami’s set phases to ensure a full recovery and safe reopening.
Miami is now at the start of phase three, where everything is operating at full capacity with minimal safety limitations being enforced by business owners for people who desire to eat inside restaurants and use public transportation. Not only are restaurants reopening for inside dining, but bars are also now open at full capacity, where the mask rule is only enforced at certain locations and you won’t be fined unless you’re at a private location where it is required.
How Are Barry Students Enjoying Miami During the Pandemic?
Barry students Jada Mohammed, a senior public relations major, and Victor Zamora, a senior broadcasting major, shared how they are enjoying the city during quarantine and the precautions they are taking.
Mohammed mentioned that she enjoys driving around Miami, so she doesn’t have to be exposed to a lot of people. She also stated that she takes walks with her dogs at the park and has scheduled picnics while the dogs play.
“When it comes to dining at restaurants, I make sure to take social distancing seriously and always asks for booths that are sanitized,” Mohammed said.
Zamora, on the other hand, mentioned that many activities and plans never changed for him, since he previously only hung out with his friends indoors and got food delivered even before the pandemic started.
Since it hasn’t impacted him as much, he hopes the reopening phases happen slowly so that cases don’t go on the rise all over again.
“I don’t really go out anymore, because I feel like it would be irresponsible; I just keep doing what I did before and keep [my] distance from everyone,” Zamora said.
Safe Places to Visit for Fun While Social Distancing
1. Go to a park! Many parks are now open, and there is tremendous space for you to social distance. You can have a nice picnic and watch the sunset after a relaxing afternoon. A great place I recommend for a nice socially distanced sunset and picnic is Maurice A. Ferré Park that is right next to the Peréz Art Museum.
2. Restaurants are now open, why not visit an outdoor restaurant with a beautiful view as you socially distance and have brunch outside with your friends? Friend’s Market & Bistro is known for a great time while enjoying brunch, right in the heart of Brickell. They are socially distancing outside and a beautiful view is guaranteed.
3. Why not social distance at the beach? The beach provides fresh air as you sit on the sand with a small group of friends or family. South Pointe Park located in Miami Beach gives you great options to walk around and enjoy the beach while socially distancing.
4. Visit gardens and museums. There are beautiful open parks in Coral Gables where you can socially distance and enjoy architecture built in the 1920s. Driving around this area is also nice as you can view beautiful homes and scenery.
5. Enjoy virtual events from home! If you want to avoid groups of people and stay completely isolated, there are concerts and events that you can find online at no cost. Do your research and find something of your interest.