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.
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QUICK UPDATES
Florida Adds More Than 9,000 Cases, Surpasses 914,000 Statewide Cases
Updated Thursday at 3:50 p.m.
Florida surpassed 914,000 positive cases of COVID-19 as Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 9,085 cases of COVID-19 Thursday. Florida has a total of 914,333 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Thursday's update also included the announcement of 79 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 17,810. Factoring in non-resident deaths the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 18,030.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 6,993 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 25 deaths due to COVID-19.
— WLRN News
These South Florida Hospitals Will Be Among The First With The COVID-19 Vaccine
Updated Thursday at 8:33 a.m.
The new COVID-19 vaccine — not yet approved for use — is on its way to two South Florida hospitals.
Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami will be among the first five hospitals across Florida to store the vaccine while they wait for final approval to use it, officials said Wednesday. The vaccine stored by hospitals will be whichever the government approves first, possibly Pfizer’s.
The other three hospitals are AdventHealth Orlando, formerly Florida Hospital Orlando, as well as Tampa General Hospital and UF Health Jacksonville. The first vaccines would start arriving in mid-December and another shipment is expected in January.
— By Lisa J. Huriash / The South Florida Sun Sentinel
Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Miami To Distribute $8.5M In Business Grants And Grocery Gift Cards For COVID Relief
Updated Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Miami’s city government will distribute $8.55 million in two COVID-19 relief programs meant to help support small businesses and help families buy groceries.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez requested a special commission meeting Wednesday morning to discuss how to quickly distribute the money, which will be reimbursed by Miami-Dade County using federal CARES Act dollars. Under federal rules, the money must be spent by Dec. 31.
Commissioners unanimously approved spending $3.55 million on about 14,000 grocery store gift cards worth $250 each. People living within Miami city limits who provide a state-issued ID and sign a sworn affidavit that they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be eligible for the gift cards. Assistance will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
— By Joey Flechas / The Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
Here’s When Low-Income FPL Customers Will Start Getting $20 Monthly Bill Credit
Updated Thursday at 8:19 a.m.
Florida Power & Light announced it will give its low-income customers a $20 monthly bill credit for a year to help offset financial hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The credit will be given to an estimated 55,000 FPL customers who currently receive federal assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program, the company said in a news release.
The $20 credit will be applied to those customers’ bills beginning in December and will last through December 2021. The number of eligible customers include about 7,800 in Broward County, 5,000 in Palm Beach County and 24,200 in Miami-Dade County.
— By Ron Hurtibise / The South Florida Sun Sentinel
Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
