WLRN staff continues to add to community resource lists, including this articleon where kids and families can get food while schools are closed, and this postabout whether and where to get tested for coronavirus.
The dedicated website for the Florida Department of Health, including information about symptoms and numbers of cases, can be found here.
The dedicated website from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found here.
To receive WLRN's coronavirus updates newsletter on Wednesdays and Saturdays, sign up here.
QUICK UPDATES
Lab Company Cleared In COVID-19 Data Problem, According To Florida Health Officials
Updated Monday 12:00 p.m.
The Florida Department of Health said Monday that a private lab was not at fault for a problem Saturday that delayed the release of statistics about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department said Saturday that it had received about 400,000 previously reported test results from the Helix laboratory company and that it would need to “de-duplicate hundreds of thousands of results.”
After months of releasing daily statistics about the pandemic, the department did not put out a report Saturday, before resuming Sunday. On Monday, however, the department released a statement clearing Helix of blame for the problems.
It said Helix’s submission of test results was “significantly lower” than 400,000 and that a technical issue caused the data’s repeated replication.
“This was not the fault of Helix or the Department of Health,” Monday’s statement said. “We are working with technical experts to ensure this does not happen with subsequent data submissions.”
— By News Service of Florida Staff
Statewide Coronavirus Cases Increase By 1,533 Resident Death Toll Reaches 15,412
Updated Monday at 11:41 a.m.
Florida surpassed 730,000 positive cases of COVID-19 asFlorida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 1,533 cases of COVID-19 on Monday.
Florida now has a total of 736,024 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties make up 430 of the newly reported cases. Monroe County did not report any cases.
Monday’s update also included the announcement of 48 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 15,412.
— By WLRN News
Positive COVID-19 Tests Force MAST Academy Back Online Days After Returning To Campus
Updated Monday at 10:05 a.m.
Two MAST Academy students tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, prompting Miami-Dade County Public Schools to cancel in-person classes Monday.
“Do not show up to school,” the school’s Twitter account said. “The campus is closed until further notice.”
The marine magnet school on the Rickenbacker Causeway just began in-person classes Wednesday after starting the school year online amid COVID-19 concerns.
Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.
—David J. Neal and Colleen Wright/Miami Herald
Florida Halts Release Of New COVID-19 Numbers After Latest Lab Mix-Up
Updated Monday at 6:19 a.m.
Florida health officials announced Saturday they were forced to delay the release of their coronavirus report that provides a daily look at the numbers of new infections, deaths and percentages of positive COVID-19 test results.
The official reason: A laboratory on Friday night dumped about 400,000 test results that had previously been submitted, mucking up the ability to accurately process the state’s much-watched pandemic data.
“State epidemiologists are currently working to reconcile the data, which will take a day to finish,” the state Health Department said in a news release. “Therefore, the daily report will resume tomorrow.”
Read more from our news partner at the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
— By Marc Freeman / The South Florida Sun Sentinel
