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.
NOT ALL CITIES IN MIAMI-DADE ARE ALLOWING BUSINESSES TO OPEN MONDAY
6:20 p.m.: Although Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave Miami-Dade the go ahead to open some businesses on Monday, cities including Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens and Miami Beach are waiting a couple extra days.
“In order to allow business operators time to make all the necessary adjustments, the city of Hialeah has ordered the delay of reopening...” it said on its website.
Nonessential retail establishments in Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens and Miami Beach will open Wednesday, and restaurants will open a week later.
WHAT MIAMI BEACH BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO KNOW TO REOPEN
5:10 p.m.: The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and City of Miami Beach staff will share guidelines and information for Phase 1A of the reopening plan during a Zoom meeting from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday.
For more information, please contact Alicia Pardey at events@miamibeachchamber.com. There is also have a website dedicated to the city’s reopening.
FACE MASKS REQUIRED AS SOME TRANSIT SERVICES RESUME MONDAY
4:15 p.m.: As some transit services are set to resume Monday, the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works tweeted a reminder Sunday that passengers must wear a face mask and adhere to social distancing rules.
Nearly three dozen bus routes also will be restored. The fares will remain suspended.
Remember, while riding transit and transportation vehicles it’s important to practice social distancing and wear a face covering. #GoMiamiDadepic.twitter.com/JAfUtw9dWZ
PHOTOS OF 2020 GRADUATES WILL BE FLOWN TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
3:15 p.m.: Ever wanted to go to space?
NASA and SpaceX are giving 2020 graduates — from kindergarten to graduate school — a rare opportunity to travel to the International Space Station.
Well, kind of.
Ahead of Crew Dragon’s first flight with @NASA astronauts on board, class of 2020 graduates – from kindergarten to graduate school – can submit their photo to be flown on the spacecraft to the International Space Station → https://t.co/MUoy64B1b0pic.twitter.com/5UKUj3mgLl
Graduates — or their parents — can upload a photo to the mosaic of Earth, which then will be printed and flown aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft when it launches on May 27.
It is the first human spaceflight since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft with two astronauts on board will launch May 27. SpaceX/Twitter
Dezerland Park will offer drive-in movies as COVID-19 keeps theaters closed
2:40 p.m.: As businesses start to reopen Monday in Miami-Dade County, indoor movie theaters are one place you won’t be able to go for a while. But an old-fashioned movie-going option is coming soon to North Miami: a drive-in theater outside Dezerland Park, the largest indoor theme park in the region. It has been closed since mid-March due to COVID-19.
The city of North Miami issued a permit last week to let the park host drive-in movie nights every Friday through July 3. Michael Pizzi, an attorney for Dezerland, said he worked with city officials to make sure the site will be safe.
Cars will be spaced apart in the parking lot with a maximum of 150 per showing. The sound from the movies, which will be displayed on a 22-foot by 40-foot screen, will be pumped in through car radios. Food orders will be taken by a phone app and delivered to people’s cars.
1:45 p.m.: With some businesses being able to reopen Monday as part of Miami-Dade’s “New Normal” order, North Miami is helping business owners understand what is expected of them.
In a tweet Sunday, the city listed what businesses lust do before they can serve customers.
Those rules include:
▪ Post CDC signage about stopping the spread in public locations
▪ Install hand sanitizer stations throughout business
▪ Reduce seating to allow for 6 feet distance between people
▪ Post a contact email address, telephone number or both for employees and customers with concerns
1 p.m.: The number of Florida new confirmed novel coronavirus cases rose to 45,588 with Sunday’s update, the increase of 777 being lower than many weekdays but more than each of the last three Sundays.
And, again, South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe counties) account for most of that increase in COVID-19, but only three of the nine new deaths in Florida.
Weekend updates from the Florida Department of Health, especially Sundays, tend to show a less dramatic rise in cases and deaths. This is the fourth Sunday of once-a-day updates, and the Sunday case numbers had been going steadily down during the last three weeks: 689, 615, 595. Then, Sunday: 777.
GOODWILL SOUTH FLORIDA REOPENS STORES IN MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD
12:30 p.m.: After being closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, the non-profit said it will reopen 20 of its Miami-Dade and Broward stores Monday. The remaining three stores will be open by Friday.
But there will be changes.
First, the stores will operate with reduced hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The stores will open from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for seniors only.
“The decision to reopen our stores was not taken lightly,” David Landsberg, CEO of Goodwill South Florida, said in a news release. “We have the responsibility to balance the livelihood of our employees, the safety of our customers and employees, and the financial solvency of our vital organization.”
Other changes include:
▪ Workers must wear a mask
▪ Store occupancy is being limited based on recommended guidelines
▪ Fitting rooms and water fountains are temporarily closed
▪ Shopping carts and baskets are being cleaned and disinfected between customers
▪ High-touch areas are being cleaned and disinfected multiple times a day
Goodwill’s donation trailers are still open and accepting goods but its stores are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Goodwill
KEEPING THOSE WITH A COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM SAFE
11:30 a.m.: The Florida Department of Health on Sunday put out a reminder of ways people can help protect people with a compromised immune system from getting COVID-19. Those with a compromised immune system are more vulnerable to the disease, especially because you may not know you have it.
The tips include: Keeping 6 feet between you another person; wearing a face cover and staying home if you are sick.
It's not always visible if someone has a compromised immune system. Practice social distancing to protect the most vulnerable from #COVID19 ️Keep at least 6 feet between yourself and others ️Wear a cloth face covering ️Stay home if you're sickhttps://t.co/TLp6h5xPuZpic.twitter.com/5pw4pZ2Qnu
TESTING SITES OPEN AFTER STATE ORIGINALLY ANNOUNCES CLOSURE FOR WEATHER
10:40 a.m.: Two Miami-Dade coronavirus testing sites that were supposed to be closed through the weekend because of bad weather have reopened.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that the state-run sites at Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Beach Convention Center could open safely.
On Thursday, the state announced it would close its 14 sites because of a low-pressure system that was supposed to pummel South Florida. The storm moved through more quickly than anticipated.
Other South Florida sites that remained closed Sunday: CB Smith Park; Broward War Memorial; Mitchell Moore Park; Urban League; Amelia Earhart Park; Marlins Stadium; Holy Family Catholic Church; FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches; South County Civic Center in Delray Beach and Lakeside Hospital.
100,000 crew members remain in cruise ship limbo for months
9:45 a.m.: In the avenue of ocean that stretches south from Miami to Cuba and northeast to the Bahamas, dozens of cruise ships sail back and forth. Every so often, they come into Florida ports to refuel and restock. Otherwise, they wait.
The crew members on board — many no longer receiving paychecks — wait for news about when they will return home and see their families again. Two months after the cruise industry shut down amid repeated COVID-19 outbreaks on ships, more than 100,000 crew members remain trapped at sea with little reliable information about what will happen to them.
While most passengers were able to get off cruise ships by early April, crew members have largely remained stuck. During the prolonged isolation, the virus continued to spread through the ships. At least 578 crew contracted COVID-19 at sea and seven have died, according to a Herald analysis.
Crew members aboard MSC Divina can be seen passing the time on their balconies as the ship is docked at PortMiami on Friday, May 15, 2020, in Miami, Florida. MATIAS J. OCNER mocner@miamiherald.com
MICCOSUKEE CASINO OPENS SUNDAY
9:15 a.m: The Miccosukee Tribe announced Saturday night it would be reopening its casino after being closed for more than a month because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, 500 SW 177th Ave., reopened its doors at 9 a.m. Sunday morning. After Sunday, the casino will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The resort temporarily closed in mid-March after Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he reached out to the casino about doing so. The Miccosukee tribe is a sovereign nation and is based on a federally designated reservation deep in the Everglades in West Miami-Dade.
Carli Teproff grew up in Northeast Miami-Dade and graduated from Florida International University in 2003. She became a full-time reporter for the Miami Herald in 2005 and now covers breaking news.
