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QUICK UPDATES
Florida Adds More Than 5,500 New Cases, 70 New Resident Deaths
Updated Tuesday at 3:55 p.m.
Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 5,556 positive cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. The state has a total of 2,090,862 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Tuesday's update also included the announcement of 70 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 33,780. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 34,434.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 11,306 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 49 deaths due to COVID-19.
— WLRN News
A Memorial Day Curfew? Miami Beach Mayor Floats Idea After County Says It’s Lifting Curfew
Updated Tuesday at 6:40 a.m.
After spring break crowds overwhelmed Miami Beach last month, the city is preparing for another tourist wave during Memorial Day Weekend by considering a series of events and, if the mayor gets his way, another curfew.
The plan, which has not yet been finalized, would include the annual Hyundai Air & Sea Show military demonstration in South Beach and at least one public concert, according to a city memo.
Mayor Dan Gelber said he also wants the city commission to consider a COVID-related curfew ahead of the May 31 holiday — even though Miami-Dade County is lifting its midnight curfew April 12.
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
— By Martin Vassolo / The Miami Herald
Nicklaus Children Offering COVID Vaccine To Teens, Young Adults. Here’s How To Get One
Updated Tuesday at 6:35 a.m.
Florida teens and young adults ages 16 to 21 can now schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
The change happened on Monday, April 5, to match Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new executive order. The order lowers the vaccination age from 40 to 18, with some vaccination sites also eligible to give doses to teens who are 16 and 17.
Nicklaus Children is giving the Pfizer vaccine — which requires two doses — 21 days apart. It’s the only vaccine authorized for emergency use in people who are at least 16. The Moderna and J&J vaccine is for people 18 and older.
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
— By Michelle Marchante / The Miami Herald
About 44,000 Palm Beach County Students Must Return To School For State Exams
Updated Tuesday at 6:30 a.m
Florida's two-month-long school testing season began Monday with the state continuing to demand students take the exams in person. Whether the results will hold any of the usual consequences — such as the keys to third grade promotion or high school graduation — remains uncertain.
That puts tens of thousands of Palm Beach County families who have kept their children home during the pandemic in an uncomfortable spot.
In Palm Beach County, roughly 43,600 students in the grades due to be tested are learning remotely, including a quarter of all third-graders and more than 60% of 10th-graders where stakes are the highest.
Read more from our news partner at The Palm Beach Post.
— By Sonja Isger / The Palm Beach Post
As Supply Increases, Are South Florida Jail Inmates Getting COVID-19 Vaccines?
Updated Monday at 6:27 a.m
South Florida jail inmates are starting to get access to the COVID-19 vaccine, but the lack of a statewide plan means availability varies widely.
For several weeks, Broward County has been offering COVID-19 shots to eligible inmates. Forty-two inmates had received the vaccine as of March 26, said Gerdy St. Louis, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, in Palm Beach County, no inmates have been vaccinated. Alexander Shaw, a spokesman for Palm Beach County’s health department, said a state strike team will vaccinate jail inmates, but officials haven’t offered additional details or a timetable as to when that will occur.
Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
— By Skyler Swisher / The South Florida Sun Sentinel
