BROWARD COUNTY, FL - County and Florida Department of Health officials continue to closely monitor the percentage of positive cases of COVID-19 in our community and in the State, which unfortunately are climbing.

While Broward County has been cautious and judicious with the reopening of business activity, the latest statistics clearly demonstrate that success at controlling the spread of the virus depends upon business and resident compliance with reopening guidelines and restrictions.

Accordingly, County Administrator Bertha Henry issued Emergency Order 20-18 today, which outlines penalties for establishments that fail to comply with Emergency Orders mandating sanitization, social distancing, facial coverings and other requirements intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. All prior Emergency Orders also remain in effect.

The new Order is effective Friday, June 26, 2020 and states that:

• Establishments cited for operating in violation of any County Emergency Order shall immediately close for a minimum 24-hour period.
• They may reopen after 24 hours, provided they 1) conduct a thorough review of applicable Emergency Orders and take all necessary measures to bring the establishment into compliance and 2) submit and receive notice of acceptance of attestation, under penalty of perjury by the owner, general manager, or chief executive officer of the establishment, emailed to the County at Reopening@Broward.org. 
• Once the attestation is received and accepted, the establishment will be inspected by local code enforcement or law enforcement authorities, within five calendar days after reopening, to confirm that the violation has been corrected.
• Repeat violations will be presumed to be knowing violations and will be subject to stricter penalties, including a fine of up to $15,000.     

County Administrator Henry said: “It is everyone's responsibility to comply with CDC guidelines and Emergency Orders, including those related to facial coverings and social distancing. We cannot let our guard down if we hope to stop the spread of the virus and avoid the devastating economic impacts of a reopening rollback.”

Residents are strongly encouraged to help with the compliance process by reporting violations to MyBroward.Broward.org. Select “Request for Service,” enter the location of the violation, and select “COVID-19 Business Complaints” as the Type of Issue. You can also call the Broward County Call Center at 311 or 954-831-4000. Both types of reports can be made anonymously.

DATE: June 24, 2020 
MEDIA CONTACT: Lori Shepard, Media Liaison
Office of Public Communications 
PHONE: 954-357-6944
EMAIL: lshepard@@broward.org