Miami strip club allowed to defy county’s ‘illegal’ COVID-19 curfew, judge says

Good for Tootsie's.

Interesting

Curfews are dumb anyways. Honestly a club like tootsies is in the best position to enforce social distancing. It had a spread out feeling pre-pandemic and it’s easy enough to stay over 6 ft away from other patrons.

At least theory. Sure most of the virus spread would come from certain mask-less activities. 🤷🏻‍♀️

To me it's not about Tootsies being allowed to stay open late but more that if Tootsies is doing it then I assume all the other Miami clubs will follow suit

Exactly, Tootsies has the motivation & resources to fight, but they aren't the primary benefactor. All the other little clubs & restaurants who just shut up and took it, won't have to do so anymore.

I mean, I get why they had the restriction. There was a feeling that the younger population partying at night was a significant vector for spread, with many asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic attendees who weren't too worried about maintaining distance in any situation.

Good for them.

The curfew is back on.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami-Dade County’s curfew was lifted for a few days, but beginning Tuesday, lights out at midnight is back.

An appellate court will allow Miami-Dade County’s curfew to be reinstated until it can rule on a decision that has become a contentious debate between the county and a Miami Garden’s strip club.

On Friday, Tootsie’s Cabaret won a temporary restraining order against Miami-Dade County’s curfew after a judge ruled in favor of the civil lawsuit. Calling it illegal, Miami-Dade Judge Beatrice Butchko issued a temporary injunction that rendered enforcement of the curfew null and void.

Immediately after Butchko’s ruling, the county immediately appealed. On Monday, the court swung in Miami-Dade’s favor, reinstating a stay of the injunction order, which means the curfew is back.

While Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez had the ability for the curfew once to be fully enforced immediately, enforcement will begin at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday to give residents and businesses time to be “duly informed."

The appeals court is still reviewing the injunction order and will have to make a ruling, but for now, Tootsie’s and others have been stripped of staying open past midnight.

Miami-Dade County issued Amendment 3 to Emergency Order 27-20 on Oct. 12 that instituted a curfew from midnight through 6 a.m. “All restaurants and food service establishments shall close for on-premises dining between the start of the curfew at 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. the next morning. These establishments may still continue to operate their kitchens after 12 a.m. strictly for the purpose of providing delivery and drive-through services only,” the order reads.