This post will be updated today, Thursday, July 9, and through the week with the latest information on COVID-19 in South Florida.
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WLRN staff continues to add to community resource lists, including this article on where kids and families can get food while schools are closed, and this post about 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
11-Year-Old Broward Girl Dies From COVID-19
Updated Thursday at 6 p.m.
An 11-year-old girl from Broward has died from coronavirus-related complications, becoming one of the state’s youngest victims, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Health.
Yansi Ayala died Wednesday at Broward Health Medical Center, according to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office. The child had underlying conditions, including trisomy 13, a genetic condition, with cardiomyopathy, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and asthma, the medical examiner’s office said.
The child is the second 11-year-old to die from the virus. Last week it was confirmed that an 11-year-old boy from Miami-Dade County died from COVID-19, becoming the state’s youngest known fatality from the disease.
Read more at our news partner the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
— Andrew Boryga/Sun Sentinel
South Florida Restaurant Owners Urge Congress To Pass Industry Relief Plan
Updated Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
South Florida restaurant owners are calling on Congress to pass a restaurant relief proposal that aims to keep their businesses running during the coronavirus pandemic.
“If the government is asking us to close to protect public safety, then the government needs to help us get back on our feet too,” said Sunil Bhatt, CEO of The Genuine Hospitality Group, Chef Michael Schwartz’s restaurant group that operates several sites in Miami, during a media call Thursday.
The restauranteurs want Florida Sens. Marcio Rubio and Rick Scott to support the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 (Real Economic Support that Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive). It would create a $120 billion fund to cover independent restaurants’ overhead costs – including personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies.
The fund would also address labor costs. According to a report by the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which proposed the relief plan, this kind of aid package could save hundreds of thousands of Floridians’ jobs.
“It’s not only the people inside of the restaurant,” said Brad Kilgore, chef and owner at Kilgore Culinary Group, which runs several restaurants in Miami. “Think about the suppliers, the drivers, the butchers. Every single thing that makes a restaurant come to life.”
Hospitality is among the major Florida industries suffering during this pandemic. State and local officials forced restaurants to close indoor dining for several weeks, and offer only takeout and delivery. They’ve been able to reopen at 50 percent capacity, following increased health and safety guidelines.
Starting Thursday, Miami-Dade County is requiring that restaurants close indoor dining again given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Under the latest emergency order, outdoor dining remains available.
– Alexander Gonzalez/WLRN News
Florida COVID-19 Cases Increase By Almost 9,000, Deaths Increase By 102
Updated Thursday at 11:00 a.m.
The Florida Department of Health confirmed an additional 8,935 cases on Thursday. The state has a total of 232,718 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Thursday's update also included the announcement of 102 new deaths, the highest surge in deaths in one day so far. Total statewide number of deaths increased to 4,009. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County make up 2,097 of the reported deaths. Monroe County has six reported deaths due to COVID-19.
- WLRN News
Palm Beach County Schools Will Remain Closed
Updated Thursday at 6:30 a.m.
Students in Palm Beach County public schools will continue learning from home when classes resume next month after school board members concluded Wednesday the risks of reopening classrooms were too great.
Under increasing pressure from teachers and local health experts, the seven board members unanimously agreed to keep classes online-only for the district’s 174,000 students until the coronavirus pandemic improves.
“We’re truly not ready,” board member Marcia Andrews said. “We’re not ready from a health standpoint. And we’re not ready from a planning standpoint.”
To read more, visit our news partner at the Palm Beach Post.
- Andrew Marra/Palm Beach Post
Broward Restaurants Will Continue Dine-in, Closing Early
Updated Thursday at 6:30 a.m.
Broward County Mayor Dale Holness announced on Wednesday restaurants will need to close at 10 p.m. every day, but dine-in will continue. The new emergency order will go into effect on Friday. Restaurants will also need to limit the amount of people per table to six.
- WLRN News
