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Coronavirus Live Updates: Florida Again Adds More Than 9,000 New Cases, 79 Resident Deaths

The South Florida Sun Sentinel

This post will be updated today, Friday, Nov. 20, and through the week with the latest information on COVID-19 in South Florida.

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

Florida Again Adds More Than 9,000 New Cases, 79 Resident Deaths

Updated Friday at 3:55 p.m.

Florida surpassed 920,000 positive cases of COVID-19 as Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 9,085 cases of COVID-19 Friday — the same number of cases from Thursday's update. Florida has a total of 923,418 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.

Friday's update also included the announcement of 79 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 17,889. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 18,110.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 7,008 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 25 deaths due to COVID-19.

— WLRN News

Picking Up Free Meals From Miami-Dade Schools? There’s A Different Schedule Next Week

Updated Friday at 2:55 p.m.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is changing its meal distribution schedule for next week to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday.

Meal distributions will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23 and 24. Typically, the district hands out free meals to children on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Broward and Palm Beach county districts are not distributing meals next week.

Here’s more information about where to find food during the pandemic.

—Jessica Bakeman/WLRN News

Palm Beach Schools Get $50K Grant To Expand Meal Service

Updated Friday at 1:30 p.m.

The public school district in Palm Beach County got a $50,000 infusion into its meal service program, a sum that will help feed hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The funds will support unanticipated costs, such as new wireless scanners, to ensure continued safe, effective, and efficient grab-n-go delivery during distance learning,” the school district announced in a news release Friday.

The grant is part of a $400,000 award granted to the Urban School Food Alliance, a national organization that works to address the unique food service needs of the nation’s 12 largest school districts.

The funding is a donation from Truist Financial Corporation, a commercial bank that resulted from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust.

Palm Beach and other school districts around the country have been a vital source of food for children and families who are suffering from food insecurity and unemployment during the coronavirus crisis.

"Rates of food insecurity have risen dramatically during the pandemic. School nutrition programs have stepped up to ensure children and families don't go hungry, but they can't do it alone,” Katie Wilson, executive director of Urban School Food Alliance, said in a statement.

Here’s more information about where to find food during the pandemic.

—Jessica Bakeman/WLRN News

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott Has Tested Positive For COVID-19

Updated Friday at 9:53 a.m.

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott has tested positive for COVID-19.

The senator announced his positive test result early Friday. He said he tested positive after receiving several negative tests and is “feeling good and experiencing very mild symptoms.”

“I’ll be working from home until it’s safe for me to return to DC. I remind everyone to be careful & do the right things to protect yourselves & others,” Scott wrote on Twitter.

By Michelle Marchante

Read more from our news partner at the Miami Herald.

Gov. Ron DeSantis Releases Video Touting Vaccines For COVID-19, But He Won’t Meet The Press

Updated Friday at 6:27 a.m.

Gov. Ron DeSantis again avoided talking with the Florida news media Thursday, instead releasing a pre-taped video touting new treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

In his five-minute message, DeSantis said the vaccines were “probably the greatest rays of hope” the state has seen since the pandemic began. But, he added, he would not mandate that Floridians get them when available.

The video message was unusual, although not unprecedented, for DeSantis, who had held near-daily press conferences on pandemic-related issues beginning in March.

— By Gray Rohrer and Steven Lemongello / The South Florida Sun Sentinel

Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

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