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
Sunday Update: Almost 5,000 New Cases And 36 Deaths
Updated at 3 p.m. Sunday
The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 4,943 new confirmed cases and 36 total deaths Sunday, each of whom was a Florida resident.
While Palm Beach and Monroe counties reported no deaths, Miami-Dade reported 17 and Broward reported one.
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. This week’s numbers show 1,000 more people testing positive and four more people dying than on last Sunday’s report.
— David J. Neal / Miami Herald
Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald
South Florida In Top 10 Percent Of Metropolitan Areas For New COVID-19 Cases
Updated at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday
As Spring Breakers have poured into South Florida, new COVID-19 cases have been on the rise.
South Florida is in the top 10% of metropolitan areas in the country for the number of new infections per 100,000 people, ranking 28th out of 392, according to a new White House report.
After what appeared to be a decline in new cases in early March, the state’s three populous counties reported a significant jump in just a week -- an increase of 5.7% in new cases compared with the seven-day period a week earlier.
— Cindy Krischer Goodman and Adelaide Chen / Sun-Sentinel
Read more from our news partner the Sun-Sentinel
Florida Adds More Than 5,700 New Cases, Resident Death Toll Hits 33,000 Mark
Updated Friday at 4:05 p.m.
Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 5,750 positive cases of COVID-19 Friday. The state has a total of 2,033,179 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Friday's update also included the announcement of 159 new resident deaths, increasing the statewide number of Floridians who died to 33,116. Factoring in non-resident deaths the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 33,756.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties make up 11,041 of those reported deaths. Monroe County has reported 48 deaths due to COVID-19.
— WLRN News
If You’re 40 Or Older, You Can Get A Head Start On Signing Up For A COVID Vaccine
Updated Friday at 6:10 a.m
Floridians age 40 and older can get a head start on signing up for a COVID vaccine before the state’s eligibility expands on Monday.
Floridians age 40 or older register for vaccine appointments at Publix starting at 7 a.m. Friday.
They can use Publix’s online reservation system to make appointments for vaccinations at Florida stores with in-store pharmacies that are participating in the vaccination program, the retailer said in a news release. That does not apply in stores in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, according to the online registration system.
— By Brooke Baitlinger / The South Florida Sun Sentinel
Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Did A Loved One Die From COVID? Here’s How FEMA Can Reimburse Funeral Costs
Updated Friday at 6:00 a.m
Families who lost loved ones to COVID-19 last year will soon be able to apply for reimbursement of their funeral costs through a new federal assistance program.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday said it will provide up to $9,000 per funeral, with people who lost multiple family members to COVID-19 eligible to apply for up to $35,000.
The funds can help cover funeral services, including interment and cremation, that occurred between Jan. 20, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. Florida alone ended 2020 with a total of 21,990 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths. Program applications are expected to become available in early April.
— By Michelle Marchante / The Miami Herald
Read more from our news partner at The Miami Herald.
