Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on May 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.
NBA could possibly return at Disney
1:50 p.m.: The momentum toward a resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season amid the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow.
The NBA has entered into exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site plan for resuming its season in Central Florida in late July, NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Saturday. Games would be played at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is located near Orlando.
Read the full story here.
Miami cardiologist, still caring for ‘everybody,’ dies of COVID-19
12:30 p.m.: Dr. Eugene “Gene” J. Sayfie, a celebrated Miami cardiologist and internist who spent five decades practicing medicine in South Florida, was renowned for giving patients his cellphone number.
He even did house calls.
On Saturday morning, Sayfie died of the coronavirus at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, his daughter Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard said. He was 85.
“He wasn’t even sick. Dad was taking care of everybody. Everyone is shocked,” she said, after leaving his side.
Read the full story here.
State’s confirmed coronavirus cases top 50,000
11:45 a.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.
Read the full story here.
Rabbi who survived coronavirus preparing to reopen synagogue
11:35 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 the full story here.
Lifeguards prepare for beach reopenings
9 a.m.: Shooing people off the beach is incongruous duty for lifeguards who consider their watch over the ocean a vocation.
But that’s what they’ve been doing since beaches were closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic: Guarding the beach instead of those using the beach.
Now they are preparing for the June 1 reopening of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County beaches, and the reopening of Broward beaches on Tuesday.
Read the full story here.
Condos adjust to life in the COVID era
8:45 a.m.: Some of the perks of living in condos or apartments in South Florida are free use of pools and gyms — places that have been put off limits for the last few months, much to the frustration of many residents.
As Miami-Dade Country reopens restaurants and public spaces with restrictions intended to keep the coronavirus at bay, condo owners and managers are trying to do the same for their private spaces — setting up mask and social distancing rules and, in a few cases, even imposing fines on violators.
Read the full story here.
Who’s rushing back to the office?
8:30 a.m.: Miami-Dade County may be re-opening for business, but not many people seem to be rushing back to the office.
Having discovered the joys, savings and surprising efficacy of having employees work virtually during the pandemic, executives and workers at a broad range of law, accounting and architecture firms, banks, public relations and marketing agencies and trade and business groups say they’re perfectly content to keep doing so — at least in the near future, and quite possibly beyond.
To make one thing clear here: No, it probably won’t spell the end of the office, as some pundits have posited. But none of the executives who spoke to the Miami Herald are demanding that employees return to their office desks right away, with some exceptions for essential personnel who need to be in-house, like tech teams maintaining servers.
When workers do come back, it could be to a very different sort of workplace.
Read the full story here.
Catch up to start the day
8:15 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Saturday begins.
▪ Chef at Miami ALF ‘died a Hero on the frontlines.’ Miami Springs nursing home now has most deaths
▪ Beaches and hotels reopening June 1 in Miami-Dade and after Memorial Day in Broward
▪ Miami-Dade ready to let summer camps open June 8 after DeSantis drops Fla. restrictions
▪ How FIU is planning to protect its community from COVID-19 in fall semester
▪ Legoland Florida Resort set to reopen in June. Masks must be worn, cash won’t be allowed
▪ Florida confirmed coronavirus cases near 50,000
This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on May 23."
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