Re-opening

With the exception of Palm Beach County Emergency Orders Nos. 2020-012 (facial coverings) and 2020-017 (enforcement), as extended and as may be amended, all prior Palm Beach County emergency orders imposing COVID-19 related restrictions on individuals, businesses, and/or establishments are hereby repealed and replaced with the instant Order.​

Click here​ to view the FAQS related to EO 2020-28. ​

Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker has issued Emergency Order 2020-025, which is effective at 12:01 A.M. on September 19, 2020. This order is to clarify that clubhouses, banquet halls, ball rooms, and other rental spaces may be open for meetings and other events besides those uses stated in Emergency Order 24.

As of the effective date of this emergency order, clubhouses, banquet halls, ball rooms and other rental spaces may be open for meetings and uses authorized in previous emergency orders including, but not limited to, seated meal service, with the following limitations:

• Maximum 50% room capacity;
  
  
• Tables for banquet style seating must be spaced at least 6-feet apart and shall be limited to no more than 8 people per table. Theater, classroom, boardroom and similar seating arrangements must provide for social distancing;
  
  
• CDC guidelines must be adhered to in accordance with Section 3, including, but not limited to, all social distancing and enhanced cleaning and disinfection guidelines;
  
  
• All prior executive and emergency orders must be adhered to in accordance with Section 4, including, but not limited to, Emergency Order 2020-012 entitled "Additional Directive on Wearing of Facial Coverings," as may be amended.

Notwithstanding the reopening of the establishments contained herein, all individuals and establishments, shall adhere to all applicable executive orders and Palm Beach County emergency orders, including, but not limited to, Emergency Order 2​020-012 entitled "Additional Directive on Wearing of Facial Coverings," and Emergency Order 2020-018, as amended by Emergency Order 2020-023, entitled "Revised Operating Hour Restrictions on Serving Food and/or Alcohol for on Premises Consumption and Other Business Hours," and Emergency Order 2020-024 entitled "Phase 2, Step 1 Re-openings" as the same may be amended.

Click here to view Emergency Order Number 25 in Español​  and  Kreyòl ​​​

Palm Beach County has issued Emergency Order 24 implementing Phase 2 - Step 1 for Palm Beach County in compliance with Governor DeSantis' ​ Executive Order 20-214.​

Step 1 – Re-open certain indoor entertainment venues and other businesses.

Re-open entertainment venues that have moderate-to-high risk of community spread at reduced capacity. Entertainment venues will be permitted to re-open with facial coverings, physical distancing, and enhanced cleaning protocols, but must operate temporarily at reduced functional capacity as indicated below:

• Bowling alleys:
• Limit to 50% of total lanes operational;
• 4 players/lane maximum;
• Restricted access to house balls; and
• Non-cohort spectators must sit 6-feet apart (no standing or congregating);
• Escape rooms:
• No mixed-player games; only private parties;
• Staggered reservations or start times;
• Maximum 6 persons per room;
• Movie theaters (up to a maximum of 50% total seating capacity);
• Playhouses (33% total seating capacity);
• Skating centers:
• Maximum of 25 skaters per standard rink;
• Non-cohort spectators must sit 6-feet apart (no standing or congregating);
• Trampoline centers:
• Limit to 50% of equipment/venue capacity;
• Only one (1) person per trampoline, battle beam, tumble mat, ninja pit, or other attraction/piece of equipment;
• All shared equipment must be sanitized between patrons;
• No shared equipment where cleaning between patron contact is not feasible (e.g., dodge ball);
• No groups/parties/activities >10 people; and
• Non-cohort spectators must sit 6-feet apart (no standing or congregating);
• Other indoor entertainment venues offering, either for participation or observation, recreational opportunities or games of skill in an enclosed building:
• Examples include but not limited to, billiard halls not licensed as bars, indoor soccer, laser tag, axe throwing, and paintball;
• 50% equipment/venue capacity; restricted equipment will be clearly prohibited from operation (e.g., signage or covered);
• No shared equipment or high contact equipment among patrons where cleaning between patrons is not feasible;
• No groups/parties/activities >10 people; and
• Non-cohort spectators must sit 6-feet apart (no standing or congregating);
• Restaurants and food establishments:
• Continue indoor service at up to 50% seating capacity;
• Full capacity outdoor seating is permissible with appropriate physical distancing;
• Bar top meal service permissible with the appropriate physical distancing; and
• Restaurants and food establishments may operate up to 50% of their existing billiard tables (i.e., one table or half of all tables, whichever is greater). Restricted tables will be clearly prohibited from operation (e.g., signage or covered).
• The following may operate at full capacity with appropriate physical distancing and with enhanced sanitization protocols implemented:
• In-store retail sales establishments;
• Museums and libraries;
• Personal services establishments not opened by prior orders; and
• Gyms and fitness centers.

After an evaluation period whereby Palm Beach County will gather and analyze sufficient local
health metrics data that demonstrates little or no significant resurgence or negative public health impact of opening Step 1, the County may advance to the next step.​

Click here to view the Outline of Phase 2 Re-opening in Español​  and  Kreyòl ​

• Outline for Phase 2 Re-opening​
  

On September 3, 2020, Mayor Dave Kerner met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and delivered the letter requesting to move Palm Beach County to Phase 2. Palm Beach County sent the letter and the County’s Incremental Phase 2 Re-opening Plan to the Governor late Wednesday requesting the County be moved to Phase 2 and re-open additional businesses and services. The meeting took place in Atlantic Beach, Florida, during the Governor’s visit to the 2020 National Fraternal Order of Police Fall Board Meeting.

Palm Beach County issued three Executive Orders on the following:

Emergency Order Number 6 – Beaches: All public, municipal, and private beaches including all beach parks shall be open sunrise to sunset subject to CDC guidelines by limiting gatherings to no more than 10 persons and distancing themselves from other parties by 6 feet. Beach concessions may operate following CDC guidelines. County-owned South Inlet Park will remain closed until such time as the City of Boca Raton opens their beaches. This order is effective 12:01 a.m. on May 18, 2020

Emergency Order Number 7 – Recreational Facilities: Amends Palm Beach County Emergency Order 2020-005 for Public Parks, Private Parks and Natural Areas. Specific amendment changes are identified here. This order is effective 12:01 a.m. on May 18, 2020.

Emergency Order Number 8 – Additional Directive on Wearing of Facial Coverings: Amends Palm Beach County Order 2020-004 for facial coverings. Effective 5:00 p.m. on May 16, 2020.

Palm Beach County will begin reopening pursuant to the State of Florida Executive Order 20-112 as amended by order 20-120 effective 12:01 a.m. on May 11. Residents may provide or obtain services at the following establishments authorized to proceed to Phase 1:

• Restaurants and food establishments licensed under Chapters 500 or 509, Florida Statutes, may allow on-premises consumption of food and beverage, so long as they adopt appropriate social distancing measures and limit their indoor occupancy to no more than 25 percent of their building occupancy. In addition, outdoor seating is permissible with appropriate social distancing. Appropriate social distancing requires maintaining a minimum of 6 feet between parties, only seating parties of 10 or fewer people and keeping bar counters closed to seating.


• In-store retail sales establishments may open storefronts if they operate at no more than 25 percent of their building occupancy and abide by the safety guidelines issued by the CDC and OSHA.


• Barbershops, cosmetology salons, and cosmetology specialty salons that adopt appropriate social distancing and precautionary measures as outlined by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation at the following link: www.myfloridalicense.com/emergency [myfloridalicense.com].


• Museum and library facilities may open at no more than 25 percent of their building occupancy, however, at this time Palm Beach County will not be opening these establishments and County library services remain virtual.