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
State Reports Lowest Number Of New Cases In A Week
Updated Sunday at 6:10 p.m.
Sunday’s Florida Department of Health’s daily COVID-19 dashboard report showed 3,841 new cases, the lowest case number since Monday, and 31 total deaths
Sunday is usually the day with the lowest case numbers and death toll because data tends to be collected and entered at a lower rate on the weekends. Sunday and Monday are the only two days since April 13 under 4,000 new cases.
For the coronavirus pandemic, Florida reports 2,242,778 cases, 35,268 resident deaths and 35,968 total deaths.
— David J. Neal / Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
Florida Adds More Than 5,300 New Cases, 77 New Resident Deaths
Updated Friday at 2:40 p.m.
Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 5,306 positive cases of COVID-19 Friday. The state has a total of 2,233,518 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Friday's update also included the announcement of 77 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 35,161. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 35,858.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 11,823 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 49 deaths due to COVID-19.
— WLRN News
Florida Passes Gov. DeSantis’ Ban On COVID ‘Vaccine Passports’
Updated Friday at 11:04 a.m.
Florida lawmakers gave final approval Thursday night to a bill that would make permanent a ban on COVID-19 vaccine “passports,” while also handing Gov. Ron DeSantis power to override local orders during health crises and directing state agencies to plan for future pandemics.
The Senate and House agreed on the final wording of the wide-ranging emergency measure (SB 2006), after Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach, tried unsuccessfully to make a change directed at a Miami private school that is reportedly discouraging teachers from getting COVID-19 vaccines as the co-founder cites debunked side effects of vaccines.
“My district’s counting on us to push back against this quackery,” Pizzo pleaded.
Read more at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
— By News Service of Florida Staff
J&J Pause, Myths Fuel Vaccine Hesitancy Among Palm Beach County Black And Hispanic Residents
Updated Friday at 10:40 a.m.
Now that they are finally getting a steady supply of coronavirus vaccines to inoculate people in underserved communities, officials at FoundCare face a new problem.
Few people seem to want them.
With 200 vaccines set aside for a clinic at a low-income mobile park in Greenacres on Saturday, only 60 people have signed up for shots, said Yolette Bonnet, executive director of the health center that serves people regardless of their ability to pay.
Read more at the Palm Beach Post.
— By Jane Musgrave and Chris Persaud / Palm Beach Post
Residency Proof Not Needed For Vaccine At Some Sites In Florida, Paving Way For Migrants
Updated Friday at 5:50 a.m.
A new road to vaccination for undocumented migrants and others has opened as some Florida sites put an end to requiring proof of residency in order to get inoculated.
Starting Friday, all state-supported and federally supported vaccination sites in Florida will no longer ask for multiple documents showing proof of residency.
Instead, these sites are moving to a verbal proof system that is meant to make it easier for undocumented migrants and others to get vaccinated.
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
— By Devoun Cetoute and Michelle Marchante / The Miami Herald
Keys Move To In-Person Graduation
Updated Friday at 5:45 a.m.
As the Florida Keys emerge from a pandemic that a year ago shuttered celebrations that are normally considered a staple of American adolescence, area high schools are planning on holding ceremonies next month that won’t quite look pre-pandemic, but closer than last year’s.
All Florida Keys high schools report they will be holding in-person graduations and proms in late May, and while their student bodies are excited and grateful, masks and social distancing will still be in effect. Both schools will also be holding student scholarship nights in-person.
“They’re happy for this because they saw what last year’s group went through,” said Marathon High School Principal Wendy McPherson.
Read more from The Key West Citizen.
— By Elliot Weld / The Key West Citizen
Miami Senator Tried To Bar Schools From Banning Vaccinated Teachers. That Failed.
Updated Friday at 5:35 a.m.
A Miami state senator on Thursday tried to emulate the “vaccine passport” initiative but in reverse, sponsoring a proposal to prevent schools and businesses from requiring people to not get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, filed an amendment after he said state education officials told him Centner Academy did not violate any policy or law when it informed parents of its anti-vaccination policy for teachers and staff and spread misinformation to children about the potential risks of vaccination.
“So right now, this is it. My district is counting on us to push back against this quackery,” Pizzo said.
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
— By Ana Ceballos / Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
