This post will be updated today, Friday, May 22, and through the weekend with the latest information on COVID-19 in South Florida.
WLRN is here for you, even when life is unpredictable. Local journalists are working hard to keep you informed on the latest developments across South Florida. Please support this vital work. Become a WLRN member today. Thank you.
WLRN staff continues to add to community resource lists, including this article on where kids and families can get food while schools are closed, and this post about whether and where to get tested for the coronavirus.
The dedicated website for the Florida Department of Health, including information about symptoms and 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 Releases Rules For Return To Beach June 1
Updated Sunday at 3:45 p.m.
Face masks will be required to enter Miami-Dade County beaches when they reopen June 1 but not when visitors are in the water or maintaining social distance, according to a draft guide to reopen beaches circulated by the county.
Sunbathing, walking and jogging will be allowed, as will the renting of beach concessions like lounge chairs and umbrellas. But no groups bigger than 10 people will be allowed to gather, and common areas like picnic tables and playgrounds will stay off limits.
Signs will be posted at the beach highlighting “do and don’t” activities and warning of the “consequences for non-adherence,” like removal from the beach.
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
-Martin Vassolo and Aaron Leibowitz/Miami Herald
Florida Reports 740 More COVID-19 Cases
Updated Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
The daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported by the state of Florida hasn’t slowed, according to Sunday’s update. But South Florida’s portion did for the second day in a row.
For the second consecutive day,less than half the state’s new confirmed novel coronavirus cases came from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties, the pandemic’s epicenter in Florida. South Florida, combined, had 301 of the state’s 740 new cases. Florida now has 50,867 known confirmed cases with 2,237 deaths.
The state reported only four new deaths Sunday, two of which were in Miami-Dade.
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
-David J. Neal/Miami Herald
COVID-19 Deaths At Long-Term Care Facilities Increase Almost 24 Percent In One Week
Updated Sunday at 12:10 p.m.
The death toll from the new coronavirus now tops 1,000 victims at Florida’s nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, according to the latest available state report.
There have been 1,032 resident deaths from COVID-19 since the outbreak began, with an increase of 199 deaths in the past seven days. That is a 23.9% increase for the week.
It’s another sign that the disease continues to batter the places that serve a population that is most at risk from infections.
Read more from our news partner the Sun Sentinel.
-Marc Freeman/Sun Sentinel
Keys Vacation Rentals To Resume June 1
Updated Sunday at 11:18 a.m.
Vacation rentals in the Florida Keys can resume June 1. The county's plan has been approved by the state.
June 1 is also the date that hotels in the Keys will reopen at 50 percent capacity and the county will remove a checkpoint at the county line that only allows residents, property owners and workers to drive into the Keys.
Reservations "from COVID-19 hotspots identified by the Governor are to be avoided for the next 30-45 days" according to Monroe County. International reservations are not allowed.
The rentals must follow the same cleaning procedures as hotels and remote check-in options must be provided. Details on the county's plan for vacation rentals are available here.
-Nancy Klingener/WLRN News
Bal Harbour Synagogue Set To Reopen With Rabbi Recovered From COVID-19
Updated Sunday at 11:08 a.m.
After surviving coronavirus, a rabbi who was one of the first Miami-Dade cases to be publicly identified is ready to reopen his synagogue’s doors.
Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar, 73, tested positive for coronavirus in mid-March. The rabbi had preexisting health conditions, including two heart valve replacements and Type II diabetes. He said the virus had already affected both lungs when he was diagnosed.
One of Lipskar’s doctors during his treatment, Dr. Martin Zak at University of Miami Hospital, said he was concerned that Lipskar would need life support. He was also concerned about Lipskar’s high fevers and general weakness. But Zak said based on what he’s heard, he would consider Lipskar fully recovered. And Lipskar said he’s ready to return to work. He will reopen the synagogue May 29.
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
-Maya Lora/Miami Herald
Florida COVID-19 Cases, Top 50,000
Updated Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Florida’s Department of Health on Saturday morning confirmed 676 additional cases of COVID-19, pushing the state total of known cases over 50,000. The state now has a total of 50,127 confirmed cases.
There were also 42 new deaths announced, raising the statewide death toll to 2,232.
At 315, less than half of the state’s new cases and new deaths were in South Florida.
Read more from our news partner the Miami Herald
-Howard Cohen/Miami Herald
Miami Beach Votes To Reopen Beach June 1, Miami-Dade To Follow Suit
Updated Friday at 1 p.m.
The Miami Beach commission voted Friday to reopen beaches and hotels on June 1.
The target date is about two weeks after retail stores, museums and grooming services resumed operations in Miami Beach on Wednesday. The city will reopen restaurants next Wednesday.
The reopening of beaches in Miami Beach will assuredly trigger a chain reaction of coastal cities reopening their beaches, Mayor Dan Gelber said.
Miami-Dade County also announced June 1 as a target date for reopening county beaches.
Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald.
— Martin Vassolo and Douglas Hanks/ Miami Herald
Statewide Coronavirus Cases Surpass 49,000
Updated Friday at 12:05 p.m.
Florida surpassed 49,000 positive cases of COVID-19 as Florida’s Department of Health confirmed an additional 776 cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Florida has a total of 49,451 confirmed positive cases, according to the state's health department.
Friday's update also included the announcement of 46 new deaths, increasing the statewide number to 2,190.
-WLRN News
Florida Releases New Details About Those Who Have Died From COVID-19
Updated Friday at 8 a.m.
Details on 2,017 deaths from coronavirus in Florida were released Thursday, after a threat of legal action against the state by media organizations.
The reports, produced by county medical examiners, show the dead ranged in age from 26 to 104 and were predominantly elderly. A third of the victims were diabetic. Twenty-seven were under the age of 40, most suffering from preexisting health problems. South Florida accounted for more than half the deaths.
Although the precise death rate of COVID-19 is still being studied, there’s no doubt that the vast majority of victims survive. That makes it important for medical professionals and the public to know what factors could be affecting those who die.
Read more at the Sun Sentinel.
-David Fleshler, Angie DiMichele, Eileen Kelley and Dan Sweeney / Sun Sentinel
