Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on March 23
We’re keeping track of the latest news regarding the coronavirus in South Florida and around the state. Check back for updates throughout the day.
FLORIDA ARRIVALS FROM NEW YORK MUST SELF-ISOLATE
5:55 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis will require anyone on a flight from the New York City area to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Florida in an effort to control the spread of coronavirus, he announced late Monday.
Violating the quarantine would be criminal, he said.
DeSantis again said he does not believe a statewide lock down of Florida is necessary at this point because some parts of the state, like South Florida, are dealing with more coronavirus cases than others.
TRUMP NATIONAL DORAL TO CLOSE
5:50 p.m.: Trump National Doral will close the resort and golf club at 11:00 p.m. Monday to comply with an order from Miami-Dade County.
In a letter to Doral golf club members, the club’s general manager Carrie Ruiz said “...the very moment the restrictions are lifted, we will be back to business as usual!”
MIAMI DOLPHINS OFFER HELP TO SEASON-TICKET HOLDERS
4:05 p.m.: The Miami Dolphins are offering season-ticket holders some relief amid the coronavirus pandemic: The option of deferring payments or rolling over their deposits for ticket packages to 2021 if needed, a team spokesman told the Miami Herald.
The team’s season ticket payment structure differs from other organizations in that it allows fans to pay on a monthly basis.
More Dolphins ticketing information is available at MiamiDolphins.com.
MIAMI BEACH TO ISSUE STAY-AT-HOME ORDER
3:45 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he’s still not ready to lock down Florida. But the City of Miami Beach is ordering its residents to stay at home to prevent the further spread of coronavirus, starting Tuesday.
The Miami Beach order, which was drafted Monday after discussions among elected officials, instructs members of the public to remain in their homes except to go to work, exercise outdoors, seek medical or veterinary care, provide care to family members, shop for groceries and pet supplies, or abide by law enforcement or court orders, according to a copy of the order obtained by the Miami Herald.
As many as nine other municipalities in North Dade are expected to enact similar orders soon.
EMPLOYEE AT MIAMI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TESTS POSITIVE
2:50 p.m.: An employee at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has tested positive for COVID-19, the hospital confirmed Monday afternoon.
The worker, who tested positive over the weekend, was not involved in direct patient care and is being treated at home, according to the hospital, which is near South Miami.
STATE-AT-HOME ORDER COMING FOR CITY OF MIAMI?
2:25 p.m.: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on Monday called for an emergency meeting this week to discuss what’s needed for a mandatory “shelter-in-place” order and a curfew during the coronavirus emergency.
If Miami followed the practice of California, Illinois, New York and other states, a shelter-in-place order would allow movement for a string of “essential” activities, including dog walking, grocery shopping and travel to work for vital businesses like grocery stores and hospitals.
Suarez called for the meeting to be held Wednesday at 8 p.m. using phone or video technology, with the five commissioners and the public participating remotely.
NO STATEWIDE LOCK DOWN YET
1:50 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he still doesn’t want to lock down Florida in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Why?
“If you look at what happened in New York, when they did the stay-at-home order, what did people do?” DeSantis said Monday morning. “Well, a lot of people fled the city. ... We’re getting huge amounts of people flying in.
“For every action, there’s a reaction. We’re going to consider what makes sense for Florida.”
California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada and Pennsylvania have announced shelter-in-place orders or bans on non-essential businesses.
Miami-Dade and Broward are the only counties in Florida to order all non-essential businesses to close.
MIAMI DOCTORS URGE CITY TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY
1:35 p.m.: A group of more than 75 emergency room doctors, nurses and physicians’ assistants issued an open letter Monday to the people of Miami-Dade County, pleading with them to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously.
The letter was signed by doctors at nearly every major hospital in Miami, including Baptist Health South Florida, Jackson Memorial Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center, among others.
Here’s the letter ...
CITY OF MIAMI TROLLEY CHANGES HOURS
12:50 p.m.: The City of Miami announced more changes Monday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Effective Tuesday, all of the city’s trolleys will run on their normal days but all operating hours will be reduced to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Also, trolleys are increasing the frequency of cleanings, including “high touch” areas like buttons, handholds, pull cords and rails. Trolleys have also been equipped with hand wipes.
HIALEAH OFFICER TESTS POSITIVE
12:20 p.m.: A Hialeah narcotics detective tested positive for the novel coronavirus late last week, according to law enforcement sources. This is forcing several other members of the department to self-quarantine.
This is the second publicly-acknowledged positive test of a police officer in an agency in Miami-Dade County.
Late Saturday night, Miami Beach Police Chief Rick Clements sent an email to members of his department saying an officer had tested positive and was sent home after being concerned about a cough.
UPDATED STATE CASE NUMBERS
11:35 a.m.: On Monday morning, Florida’s Department of Health confirmed 164 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total of confirmed cases to 1,171. There was one new death in Palm Beach County, increasing the state’s death toll to 14.
The updated total included 40 additional cases in Miami-Dade County, bringing the total up to 267. In Broward County, 41 cases were added to bring the total to 258.
Miami-Dade and Broward represent 44.8 percent of the state’s total cases.
WHERE ARE SOUTH FLORIDA’S TESTING SITES?
10:15 a.m.: COVID-19 testing centers are popping up around South Florida, and more are coming soon.
All of the centers are drive-thru only, which means you need to be in a car or truck with a working window. Each of the centers also have a criteria for testing eligibility and different sets of hours.
Here’s a full list of the testing sites in South Florida, with details you need to know.
PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE
9:25 a.m.: The Miami Herald is launching People Helping People to assist local people in meeting the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
If you can help, let us know how. And if you need help, let us know what we can do. Connect by filling out this form.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
9 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Monday begins.
▪ Will Gov. Ron DeSantis issue a shelter-in-place order for the state of Florida to help combat the spread of the coronavirus? Jared Moskowitz, the director of emergency management and a former state representative from South Florida, said DeSantis is analyzing what other states have done and is “looking at all the different options.”
▪ The Village of Key Biscayne is closed to all tourists and visitors, officials announced late Sunday. The order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
▪ Broward County became the second county in Florida to order all non-essential businesses to close in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. It went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
▪ Because of the spread of COVID-19, the Florida Keys is officially closed to all “tourists and leisure visitors,” Monroe County officials announced Sunday.
▪ All Florida state parks officially closed Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic, state officials announced late Sunday.
▪ A new drive-through coronavirus testing site is expected to open at Marlins Park this week in a collaboration between multiple Miami public agencies. More details on the site are expected Monday. Another drive-thru Community Based Testing Site for COVID-19 opens to the general public Monday at Hard Rock Stadium.
▪ Miami’s main homeless shelter underwent an emergency cleaning Sunday after two men staying there fell ill, and one was tested for the coronavirus, officials said. The Homeless Assistance Center, 1550 North Miami Ave, underwent the cleaning Sunday evening.
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 9:01 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on March 23."
