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Coronavirus Live Updates: Florida Adds More Than 13,000 New Cases, 101 Additional Resident Deaths

This post will be updated today, Thursday, Dec. 17, 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 Adds More Than 13,000 New Cases, 101 Additional Resident Deaths

Updated Thursday at 4 p.m.

Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 13,148 positive cases of COVID-19 Thursday. Florida has a total of 1,168,483 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.

Thursday's update also included the announcement of 101 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 20,305. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 20,594.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 7,586 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 32 deaths due to COVID-19.

— WLRN News

The Secret To COVID′s Spread Might Be Buried In Wastewater

Updated Thursday At 6:05 a.m

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have a different, somewhat disgusting way to test for the coronavirus on campus and possibly predict where it will spread.

Researchers are looking for remnant coronavirus particles inside the university’s sewer systems.

Wastewater is tested at lift stations, the pumping stations where raw sewage collects before being moved to higher elevations.

— By Amber Randall / The South Florida Sun Sentinel

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

Staying At An Airbnb For The Holidays In Florida? There Are COVID Changes To Know

Updated Thursday At 6:00 a.m

Planning to take a trip to Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale or the Florida Keys this holiday season?

Maybe your Christmas or New Year’s Day plans include a road trip to Orlando, where you can visit Mickey Mouse or enjoy a Butterbeer with your friends at Universal Studios.

No matter where you go, vacations and staycations can get complicated, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides health concerns, there’s also a lot of new rules and restrictions meant to help reduce the disease spread.

— By Michelle Marchante / The Miami Herald

Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.

Disney Cruise Line Removes March Sailings, Marking One Year Of COVID-19 Cancellations

Updated Thursday at 5:44 a.m.

Disney Cruise Line has removed the ability to book March 2021 sailings from its website, which would mark more than a year of cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The line’s COVID-19 heath warning atop its site, though, has yet to identify all March sailings as being canceled, but now the earliest consumers can book a cruise on its site is April 2021.

Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy sail from Port Canaveral while Disney Magic is set to sail from PortMiami and Disney Wonder from San Diego.

— By Richard Tribou / The Orlando Sentinel

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

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