Dear Colleagues,
It’s a busy month with some time-sensitive updates for you.
Thrive 305 – the County’s Community Engagement Initiative
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is kicking off Civic Week, phase two of Thrive 305, beginning today, Saturday, April 10th through April 17th. We encourage you to participate in Civic Week and you can find information about this series of community input meetings happening this week here: thrive305.org. Please participate. It is important that arts and cultural voices are heard!
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
Earlier this week, Mayor Levine Cava issued a new Emergency Order 33-20 which requires the continued use of face coverings and masks, physical distancing, hand-washing, sanitizing, and staying home when sick. In addition, the Mayor released updated COVID-19 safety guidelines for Miami-Dade County. The Mayor also amended Emergency Order 27-20 to lift the Countywide curfew starting Monday, April 12, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. Additional information, including how to find testing and vaccination sites can be found here.
COVID-19 Relief Programs
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs continues to monitor the American Rescue Plan and other COVID-19 relief programs, such as the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) program managed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Yesterday, the SBA announced that they will be re-opening the SVOG application portal soon, after encountering technical difficulties during yesterday’s long-awaited release. In the meantime, eligible organizations can continue to collect the information needed to apply and be ready to submit once the SVOG portal is open. Visit the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) page for more information.
As an important reminder, the Americans for the Arts Arts Action Fund continues to provide a wealth of helpful information, webinars and resources. Sign up for alerts here.
Michael, can we reopen now?
According to the New York Times, “Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States, told performing arts professionals at a virtual conference on Saturday that he believed that theaters and other venues could reopen “some time in the fall of 2021,” depending on the vaccination rollout, and suggested that audiences might still be required to wear masks for some time.”
It is important to note that there is no current Miami-Dade County requirement mandating that cultural venues remain closed. If your organization is considering re-opening, we strongly encourage you to refer to Miami-Dade County’s updated COVID-19 Safety Guidelines and to continue to follow all of the safety protocols for COVID-19 established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We also urge you to do the obvious: prioritize the health and safety of artists, audiences, and staff in your decision-making.
While the exact timing of when the arts will be open at full force remains uncertain, it is very clear that Miami-Dade County’s outstanding cultural institutions and artists will be to be a driving force in recharging our community and economy. Until then, the Department staff and I will continue to monitor COVID-19 updates and relief opportunities and will keep you informed as more information becomes available.
Stay safe and please get vaccinated!
Sincerely,
Michael Spring
Director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The most reliable way to contact us continues to be through email. You can find a staff directory at https://www.miamidadearts.org/about/staff-councils.
Please check the County’s web site for more COVID-19 information and for regular updates: miamidade.gov/coronavirus.
To view a comprehensive list of all the Department’s previous cultural updates on COVID-19 click here.
Originally published at https://miamidadearts.org/news/civic-week-kick-and-covid-19-updates
