Coronavirus Live Updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on May 8
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.
No tourists in the Keys yet — but hotel reservations can be made
3:45 p.m.: Feel free to book a hotel or resort stay in the Florida Keys.
Monroe County leaders on Friday announced lodging facilities may now take reservations again even though the Keys remain officially closed to visitors.
‘We’ve got to start sometime,” said Phil Amsterdam, owner of Amsterdam’s Curry Mansion bed and breakfast in Key West. “It’s a very good sign.”
Read the full story here.
Navy’s Blue Angels salute South Florida’s healthcare teams
3:20 p.m.: The Navy’s Blue Angels promised to pay tribute to South Florida’s healthcare workers with a flyover Friday afternoon.
And, sure enough, with a thrilling sense of roar and might, six F-18 Hornets flew in formation over hospitals in the tri-county area from Boca Raton in the north to Homestead in the south.
Check out a full video here.
Palm Beach County to start reopening Monday
2:30 p.m.: Starting Monday, restaurants and retailers in Palm Beach County will able to open for business with restrictions, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a press conference in West Palm Beach.
“I think Palm Beach is incredibly important for our state,” he said Friday. “It’s not like flipping a switch ... but we’ll be able to get people back to work.”
Palm Beach County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to send a letter to DeSantis asking for his blessing to break away from Miami-Dade and Broward counties and start reopening nonessential businesses. Friday, the county voted to open its beaches on May 18.
Read the full story here.
STATE REOPENING FOREST CAMPGROUNDS
2 p.m.: Florida State Forest campgrounds started to reopen with limited capacity Friday under a phased plan after closing because of the coronavirus pandemic. The plan, announced by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, includes most campgrounds, primitive campsites and trailheads in state forests. Some recreation and day-use areas remain closed, while restrooms will remain closed outside of open campgrounds.
“Our Florida State Forest recreation areas are some of Florida’s greatest natural treasures, but in an abundance of caution, we are taking a cautious, measured approach to reopening these areas while continuing to follow CDC (federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines,” Fried, whose department includes the Florida Forest Service, said in a prepared statement.
—News Service of Florida
Miami-Dade sets preliminary date to start reopening businesses
12:15 p.m.: After nearly two months of closures during the coronavirus pandemic, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Friday he plans to allow some businesses to reopen May 18. He did not say which ones.
The target means another 10 days of an historic shutdown of much of the county’s economy before Miami-Dade can test the willingness of residents to spend again and employers to bring back their workers.
“We need to get the economy going and do it as safely as possible,” Gimenez said at a press conference Friday morning.
Read the full story here.
More than 39,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Florida
Florida’s Department of Health on Friday morning confirmed 371 additional cases of COVID-19 — the lowest the state has seen since last week. The state now has a total of 39,199 confirmed cases.
There were also 69 new deaths announced, raising the statewide death toll to 1,669.
Read the full story here.
Furloughing Florida prison inmates?
As cases of COVID-19 among inmates and staff in Florida’s crowded and often unsanitary state prisons climb to 507 and 184 respectively, advocates and families of inmates have been pushing for the state to take some sort of action.
But Florida has hardly released anyone — just three people on “conditional medical release.”
The main reason is because Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch does not hold the authority to release inmates.
But what if he furloughed them instead?
In a letter to Inch from Greg Newburn, Florida director of the prisoner-rights organization FAMM, the organization proposes the FDC use a relatively obscure administrative rule that gives the department authority to furlough inmates, allowing them to leave the facilities for a set amount of time.
Read the full story here.
Democrats to DeSantis: Stop Florida’s reopening efforts
9 a.m.: A group of House Democrats from Florida, including the state’s South Florida delegation, is calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop a phased reopening in most of the state, arguing that Florida doesn’t have a large enough testing capacity to stop the spread of new coronavirus cases.
Nine of the state’s 13 House Democrats signed onto a letter written by Broward Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ted Deutch that was sent to DeSantis on Friday. The Democrats said they have “grave concerns” about opening up most of the state. DeSantis has not started reopening measures in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which are home to the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Read the full story here.
Jobless rate spikes to 14.7%
The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record. The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy.
The losses reflect what has become a severe recession caused by sudden business shutdowns in nearly every industry. Nearly all the job growth achieved during the 11-year recovery from the Great Recession has now been lost in one month.
Read the full story here.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
8:30 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Friday begins.
▪ Florida nears 39,000 coronavirus cases as the death toll reaches 1,600
▪ Miami-Dade wants COVID-19 reports from nursing homes, won’t rely on state data
▪ Miami-Dade commission rejects sick leave for contractors after Cuba comparisons
▪ ‘We can’t quarantine forever’: Can new walk-up testing site push Miami Beach to reopen?
▪ State’s COVID-19 testing policy an ‘unmitigated disaster’ for residents of elder homes
▪ Miami Beach hotels housed guests after coronavirus order shut them down, city says
▪ Disney Springs is opening soon, marking the first phase of Disney World’s reopening
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Coronavirus Live Updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on May 8."
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