Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on June 16
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.
Ron DeSantis, on climbing coronavirus case numbers: ‘We’re not rolling back’
7 p.m.: As the number of Florida coronavirus cases continues to climb and after his own administration announced that those who work at elder care facilities must now be tested, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he’s not considering another shutdown.
“We’re not rolling back,” DeSantis said during a news conference when asked whether he would consider stopping some reopening efforts. “The reason we did the mitigation was to protect the hospital system.”
On Tuesday, Florida reported 2,783 new coronavirus cases, more than it has ever recorded in a single day. It was the fourth time in six days that the state reported a record number of cases.
Read the full story here.
Don’t forget to wear a mask
5:15p.m.:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared a reminder Tuesday of what you should do and not do when it comes to a face mask.
“Your mask protects them. Their mask protects you” the CDC wrote in a tweet. “Wearing a mask correctly can prevent the spread of #COVID19 to others.”
Other tips for masks: Make sure you can breathe through it and wash after using.
Also remember children under 2 years of age do not need to wear masks.
Can dogs smell the coronavirus? Company training new COVID-detection dogs
4:15 p.m.: Dogs can sniff out drugs and bombs, or find someone lost in the woods. They can even smell when someone is about to have a seizure. Now, dogs with specially trained snouts could also be enlisted into the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
A British organization that specializes in medical detection dogs is training six to prove that well-trained canines could be a reliable first line of defense to screen people for COVID-19.
Read the full story here.
Florida sees a record 2,783 daily coronavirus cases as state total hits 80,000
3 p.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed 2,783 additional cases of COVID-19, setting another daily total record high since the start of the pandemic. The state now has a total of 80,109 confirmed cases.
Previously, the highest daily total recorded was on Saturday when 2,581 cases were reported. There were also 55 new deaths announced Tuesday, raising the statewide death toll to 2,993.
Florida’s crash testing program offers snapshot of COVID-19’s deadly toll in long-term care
10:30 a.m.: A crash program to test for COVID-19 at Florida nursing homes and ALFs has given state officials a clearer picture of the devastation wrought by the virus at long-term care facilities — including more than 1,500 deaths and thousands more infections.
In the course of two months, the state went from having tested at just a handful of elder-care homes to 2,215. Another 1,000 homes reported conducting their own tests of staff or residents or both, according to a Herald analysis of records supplied by the state. Advocates applauded the effort.
The rapidly organized program, announced to the industry in a May 21 conference call, set June 12 — last Friday — as a deadline to get the project completed.
Florida didn’t get every home tested. Still, healthcare regulators made major headway toward the goal of comprehensive testing.
The testing has provided a window into the extent to which the virus has spread throughout the state’s 3,800 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and rehabilitation centers.
University of Miami students to return in the fall to Gables campus, despite coronavirus
9:20 a.m.: A little more than three months after the University of Miami vacated its campus to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Julio Frenk announced the private college will resume in-person classes come fall, according to an emailed letter he sent to students and faculty.
Frenk says the school will not have a “mask police” but will be reminding everyone that they are expected to wear a mask.
Life on campus will also not look the way it did before the pandemic.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
9:15 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Tuesday begins.
▪ South Florida reports more than 600 new coronavirus cases as state death toll nears 3,000
▪ Miami, Miami Beach mayors say no new restrictions yet, despite rising COVID-19 numbers
▪ Miami-Dade violated a federal coronavirus act. It owed a worker back pay, sick time.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on June 16."
