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
Miami-Dade And Broward Report Lowest New Case Numbers In Almost A Month
Updated Sunday at 5 p.m.
Sunday’s Florida Department of Health’s daily COVID-19 dashboard report showed 3,231 new cases and 33 total deaths, but only 660 cases in Miami-Dade and 339 in Broward County.
Those are the lowest numbers for South Florida’s two largest counties since Monday, April 12, when 388 and 204 cases were reported, respectively. 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.
For the coronavirus pandemic, Florida reports 2,269,806 cases, 35,731 resident deaths and 36,445 total deaths.
— David J. Neal / Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
South Florida Readies To Give Pfizer Vaccine To Children 12 And Up
Updated Friday at 3:20 p.m.
Children ages 12 and up across South Florida could start getting Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, when the federal government gives the OK.
Local hospital systems say they’ve begun preparing to vaccinate younger patients. And health officials hope that extending vaccinations to kids will lower the number of infections nationwide, as well as prepare schoolchildren to return to class safely in the fall, given that some school districts don’t plan to offer remote learninglater this year.
The participating hospitals include Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale; Memorial Healthcare System, with campuses in Hollywood, Miramar and Pembroke Pines; and Jackson Health System in Miami. As early as this upcoming week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for youngsters ages 12 to 15. It is already approved for ages 16 and older.
Read more at our news partner the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
— By Lisa J. Huriash / Sun Sentinel
Florida Adds More Than 4,100 New Cases, 86 New Resident Deaths
Updated Friday at 2:50 p.m.
Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 4,165 positive cases of COVID-19 Friday. The state has a total of 2,262,598 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Friday's update also included the announcement of 86 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 35,635. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 36,346.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 11,968 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 49 deaths due to COVID-19.
— WLRN News
Four People In Palm Beach County Die From Variant Strain Of Coronavirus
Updated Friday at 5:20 a.m.
With the number of COVID-19 cases falling, Florida still leads the nation in new infections as those caused by variant strains of the coronavirus skyrocket, according to the latest reports from state health officials.
The number of people in Florida infected with a variant strain of the virus increased 77% in the last three weeks and the number of deaths nearly tripled to 67, state health officials reported Thursday.
Four people in Palm Beach County have died from the B.1.1.5 mutation of the virus, commonly known as the British variant. It is by far the most common of the six variants that are circulating throughout the state.
— By Jane Musgrave / The Palm Beach Post
Read more from our news partner at The Palm Beach Post.
DeSantis Ban On Vaccine Proof May Send One Company’s Cruise Ships Out Of Florida
Updated Friday at 5:16 a.m.
If Florida won’t allow Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for passengers and crew, the company’s CEO says it will take its ships elsewhere.
CEO Frank Del Rio made the threat during an earnings call Thursday, just days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill passed by the Republican-controlled state Legislature that bans businesses, schools and government entities in Florida from asking anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the world’s third largest cruise company, parent to cruise brands Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. Miami-Dade County spent $263 million building a terminal for Norwegian at PortMiami that finished construction last year.
— By Taylor Dolven / The Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
