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Toll Free: 877-624-6889
Intl: (407) 917-8432
Posted on July 09, 2020
With the increase in positive COVID tests in South Florida, officials in Miami-Dade County have reinstituted some restrictions meant to lower the likelihood of contracting the virus. Owners of Miami timeshares, especially in Miami Beach, should be aware of these new rules if they intend to head to South Florida in the next couple of weeks.
Bars were already closed statewide following a ban put in place by state officials on June 26. Now, indoor dining is off-limits in Dade County along with gyms, party venues and short-term vacation rentals. Restaurants are still open for takeout and outdoor dining.
Timeshare resorts are still open, and pools can continue to be open along with grooming services. Miami beaches reopened yesterday following a closure over the July 4th holiday weekend. Masks are required when in public; however, they are not required inside vacation accommodation, while swimming or while eating or drinking.
No COVID-related policy changes have been announced for neighboring Broward (including Fort Lauderdale) or Palm Beach counties as of the time of this writing. Beaches are open and Broward officials state that the majority of complaints received are due to restaurants not following protocols. Masks and social distancing requirements are in effect for these counties as well.
Over the four-plus months of tracking the Coronavirus, Miami-Dade County has seen 53,974 cases with 4,206 hospitalizations and 1,068 deaths. This in a county of just over 2.7 million people. Overall, the state of Florida has recorded 3,841 COVID-related deaths. For comparison sake and to put this into perspective, the American Cancer Society estimates that 45,300 Floridians will die of cancer in 2020.
Puerto Rico and Barbados are the latest destinations requiring COVID testing for vacationers prior to arrival. Puerto Rico is planning to reopen to tourists on July 15 and, while U.S. citizens can travel freely to the island, proof of a negative COVID test is required upon entry - with the test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival. Quarantine restrictions will apply to those who cannot provide a negative test result.
Barbados arrivals will need to provide proof before going through immigration. This follows Hawaii’s requirement for proof of negative testing upon arrival once the mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement is lifted on August 1.
Palm Springs has added more requirements to its existing mask order. Timeshare owners as well as all visitors and residents will now need to wear masks while outdoors, even while standing, walking, running or bicycling, if they are on a sidewalk adjacent to a business. Masks must also be worn while exercising in a fitness center.
For patrons seated at a table or bar at a restaurant, they do not need to wear a mask unless … get this … an employee approaches them. When an employee such as a waiter or bartender approaches them, everyone in the group must put their mask back on while the employee is present. Picture that in your mind each time a bartender comes up asking if you’ll have another.
The majority of branded timeshare resorts are open in the U.S., with updates on the leading resorts below:
Bluegreen Vacations –Hotel Blake is now open, with the City of Chicago implementing quarantine rules for visitors coming from designated states. This means all Bluegreen Club resorts and Club associate resorts with the exception of Pono Kai Resort are open. Please go to https://www.bluegreenowner.com/featured/travel-advisory-resort-status for more info.
Capital Vacations – still no change as Coral Sands (Grand Cayman) and Sea Palace (St Maarten) are the remaining Capital timeshare resorts reported as closed. Please go to https://www.capitalvacations.com/covid.php for more details
Club Wyndham – the majority of Wyndham timeshare resorts are open, with Club Wyndham Midtown 45 and Margaritaville Island Resort Pigeon Forge the latest to reopen. Wyndham resorts in San Francisco and most Hawaii resorts are closed until August. For more information on the status of Wyndham timeshare resorts, please go to https://clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com/us/en/covid-19-information/list-of-impacted-resorts.
Diamond Resorts - Sea of Cortez Beach Club in San Carlos, Mexico is now open. Otherwise there is no new update on the status of U.S.-based Diamond timeshares as Alhambra Villas, Crescent Resort on Miami Beach, Marquis Villas Resort and five Diamond Hawaii timeshare resorts remain closed. Go to https://www.diamondresorts.com/covid-19-update for the latest information.
Disney Vacation Club – this Saturday is the big reveal as Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom theme parks reopen, with Epcot and Hollywood Studios reopening next Wednesday. DVC resorts in Orlando, Hilton Head and Vero Beach are open, but no word yet on the reopening of villas at Grand Californian or Aulani. Please visit https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/ for more details.
Grand Pacific Resorts – no change here as Indian Palms Vacation Club in Indio, California, remains closed until September 1. All other Grand Pacific timeshare resorts are open. For more details please go to https://grandpacificresorts.com/resort-reopening-updates/.
Hilton Grand Vacations – West 57th Street by Hilton Club is due to reopen next week. Otherwise, most Hilton timeshare resorts in Hawaii, New York City and the Hilton Grand Vacations Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile are still closed. The remaining U.S.-based Hilton timeshare resorts are open. Please go to https://www.hiltongrandvacations.com/en/travel-alert for more details.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations – Mount Ascutney Resort in Brownsville, Vermont is scheduled to reopen next week. All other Holiday Inn timeshare resorts are now open, so for more details please visit https://holidayinnclub.com/safe-travels/resort-updates.
Marriott Vacation Club – Marriott’s Waikoloa Ocean Club remains closed due to the state of Hawaii’s emergency quarantine restrictions. Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at The Mayflower, Washington, D.C., is still due to reopen on July 25. Marriott Vacation Club Pulse San Francisco and Marriott Vacation Club Pulse New York City remain closed until further notice. The remaining U.S.-based Marriott timeshare resorts are open. For more information please visit https://hub.vacationclub.com/resort-updates/.
Vistana Signature Experiences – All Westin timeshare and Sheraton timeshare resorts remain open.
Westgate Resorts – Westgate Leisure Resort, Westgate Blue Tree Resort, Westgate Palace Resort and Westgate Towers Resort are all scheduled to open on August 3. Westgate New York Grand Central and Westgate Tunica Resort remain closed until further notice. The rest of the Westgate timeshare resorts are open, so please visit https://www.westgateresorts.com/coronavirus-travel-advisory/ for the latest information.
WorldMark – Crotched Mountain Resort in New Hampshire is scheduled to reopen on July 19. The majority of WorldMark timeshare resorts are open with the exception of San Francisco and several Hawaii resorts that remain closed until early August. For more info please click on https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/news/covid19_impacted_resorts.shtml.
Steve manages the public relations, social media and content creation efforts of the company. Previously the Chief Operating Officer for Perspective International, Steve provided oversight and contributed articles for the five regional vacation ownership trade magazines under the Perspective Magazine banner. With 34 years’ experience in various roles in radio and television, sales and marketing, public relations, media and government liaison initiatives, he brings a well-rounded outlook to our industry.