WLRN staff continues to add updates on testing and vaccination sites, executive orders and messages from government officials, and the latest news on COVID-19. You can find information on free food and food distributions here.
The dedicated website for the Florida Department of Health, including information about the 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
Golden Beach Initially Offers Vaccines For Residents Only, State Denies It Authorized That
Updated Sunday at 11:50 a.m.
Golden Beach, a tiny coastal town in northeast Miami-Dade County and one of the most affluent municipalities in South Florida, announced this week that it had obtained about 150 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from the state of Florida — and that they were for Golden Beach residents only.
“Participants MUST be live-in Residents of Golden Beach and must present ID,” read a flyer about the Friday event at Town Hall. “Anyone found not RESIDING in Golden Beach will have their appointment canceled.”
The town’s promotion of “residents only” shots came with the express permission of the state, Town Manager Alex Diaz told the Miami Herald. But the town opened up access after the Herald began asking questions. And on Friday, a spokesman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management disputed that the state authorized Golden Beach to make shots available only to its roughly 1,000 residents.
—By Aaron Leibowitz / The Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
Florida Adds More Than 7,100 New Cases, 62 New Resident Deaths
Updated Friday at 3:35 p.m.
Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 7,121 positive cases of COVID-19 Friday. The state has a total of 2,111,807 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Friday's update also included the announcement of 62 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 33,968. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 34,626.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 11,283 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 49 deaths due to COVID-19.
— WLRN News
Vaccine Rush Waning As Cases Skyrocket By Nearly 8,000
Updated Friday at 6:30 a.m
With vaccination sites popping up daily at malls, churches and parks throughout South Florida, the urgency to reach as many people as possible was underscored on Thursday when nearly 8,000 COVID-19 cases were tallied across the state.
The 7,939 cases reported by Florida health officials is the biggest single-day increase since 8,525 were recorded on Feb. 11.
Another 517 cases were reported in Palm Beach County, the second highest daily jump since Feb. 25.
— By Jane Musgrave / The Palm Beach Post
Read more from our news partner at The Palm Beach Post.
Has Your Trash Collection Been Late In Coral Gables? This May Be Why
Updated Friday at 6:19 a.m
COVID-19 infections among sanitation workers across Miami-Dade County have led to a delay in service at some businesses, apartments and condo buildings in Coral Gables in recent weeks, according to the city and contractor Waste Management.
Spokespersons for Coral Gables and the company say the city’s biweekly trash collection was pushed back after two Waste Management crews were sidelined due to coronavirus infections and exposure, causing some backup in service.
The contract workers handle garbage and recycling for all commercial and multi-family residential properties in the city. Waste Management does not handle any single-family homes in the City of Coral Gables.
— By Samantha J. Gross / The Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
