Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on June 28
We’re keeping track of the latest news regarding the coronavirus in South Florida and around the state.
Check back for updates on COVID-19 throughout the day.
FORT LAUDERDALE SHUTS DOWN RESTAURANTS FOR COVID-19 VIOLATIONS
6:10 p.m.: Fort Lauderdale shut down four restaurants Saturday for violating COVID-19 guidelines. The four restaurants all committed violations, including a lack of facial coverings, bad social distancing and serving customers at the bar.
All four restaurants — Bamboo Beach Tiki Bar, Casablanca Cafe, Spazio, 27 Bar and Lounge — also got fined, as did Luigi’s Tuscan Grill.
DESANTIS BLAMES YOUNGER FLORIDIANS FOR CASE INCREASE
5:30 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis once again downplayed the severity of the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Florida on Sunday, pegging most of the blame for the increase on a younger, less at-risk slice of Floridians.
At a Pensacola press conference, DeSantis and state officials cited numbers which show the recent uptick in cases is primarily because of Floridians aged 18-44, who are going out more and socializing at a greater rate.
“They’re younger people,” the governor said. “They’re going to do what they’re going to do.”
He added: “The seniors have been very, very diligent. I know it’s gone on now, we’re in the third month of this, and it can be tiring ― we just ask that you maintain that diligence.”
On Friday, the state took its most aggressive measure in rolling back the reopening plan, banning the consumption of alcohol at bars statewide because “widespread noncompliance” with social-dsitancing guidelines in those spaces.
MARLINS ANNOUNCE CAMP ROSTER FOR COVID-19 RESTART
5 p.m.: MLB begins its return from a lengthy COVID-19 hiatus Wednesday when training camps begin ahead of the league’s planned July restart. The Miami Marlins have announced the bulk of the 60-player pool it will be picking from for this abbreviated 60-game season.
The Marlins listed 57 players, meaning they can still add three more. Most of the roster is unsurprising with mainstays like All-Star starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara leading the way. Miami is also listing many of its top young prospects, including former first-round pick JJ Bleday and top prospect Sixto Sanchez. It doesn’t mean everyone will make the roster, but it will allow these players to train throughout the season in Jupiter with minor leagues likely shut down for 2020.
NEW MIAMI BEACH TESTING SITE OPENS
4 p.m.: A new mobile COVID-19 walk-up testing site opened Sunday at 12th Street and Washington Avenue, near the Miami Beach Police Department headquarters.
The testing site will be open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and will offer 400 free tests. The testing site is walk-up only and no appointments are necessary.
Meanwhile, both active virus COVID-19 and antibody tests continue to be available at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The site, which is available for drive-through or walk-up testing from 9 a.m.-5p.m., now has a daily capacity of 1,200 tests.
ANTI-MASKERS GO VIRAL AT PALM BEACH COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING
3 p.m.: A Palm Beach County Commission Meeting descended into absurdity Tuesday and the results spawned one of the most viral COVID-19 moments of the week.
Anti-maskers took their opportunity to speak against a potential county-wide mask mandate Tuesday and used the chance to talk about pedophiles, Bill Gates and 5G. “I don’t wear a mask for the same reason I don’t wear underwear,” one woman said. “Things got to breathe.”
BROWARD COUNTY CLOSES BEACHES FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
2 p.m.: Beaches across South Florida’s two largest counties will be closed for the upcoming holiday weekend. Broward County is joining Miami-Dade County in closing down beaches for Independence Day.
Broward County will close beaches starting Friday and the beaches will remain closed through next Sunday. Mayors of several county municipalities will discuss the closures at a 4:30 p.m. press conference.
FLORIDA’S UPDATED CASE NUMBERS
1:30 p.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Sunday confirmed 8,530 additional cases of the coronavirus, bringing the state total to 141,075. The state also added 29 new deaths, bringing the total of COVID-19 deaths north to 3,419. The total number of cases was more than double the previous record for a Sunday, which has typically been the day with the lowest case count. This is the third highest single-day total since the pandemic began, trailing only Friday and Saturday. The percentage of new positive tests around the state was 12.3 percent and 108 hospitalizations were added.
More than a quarter of the new cases are from Miami-Dade County, which accounted for 2,152 cases and six deaths. Broward County reported 574 new cases without any deaths, Palm Beach County reported 461 cases and 11 deaths, and Monroe County added 15 cases without any new deaths.
BROWARD COUNTY PLANS TO CLOSE BEACHES FOR HOLIDAY WEEKEND
1 p.m.: Broward County will be following Miami-Dade County’s lead and closing beaches for Independence Day and the coming holiday weekend. Mayor Dale Holness told the Sun-Sentinel he will close down the beaches from Friday through Sunday and he’ll make it official Monday. Restaurants on the beach will remain open.
Holness’ announcement comes two days after Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez made the same decision for the neighboring county. Florida has had more than 8,000 new cases of COVID-19 for three straight days as South Florida has once again emerged as one of the largest hotspots for the virus in the entire country.
CALCULATORS ESTIMATE HOW LONG VIRUS LIVES IN AIR, ON SURFACES
Noon: The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has developed online calculators to estimate how long the coronavirus will stay on surfaces and in the air depending on weather conditions.
“It’ll calculate the half-life of the virus and now that’s very important because the half life of the virus frankly means that if 1,000 elements of the virus is deposited on a surface, the half life means in that certain period of time that the calculator will tell you, half will be decayed in that period of time,” Acting Undersecretary William Bryan told WGNO, a television station in New Orleans.
DESANTIS TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE
11 a.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to hold a press conference Sunday regarding COVID-19 at 2:30 p.m. in Pensacola. This comes on the day Florida confirmed an additional 8,530 cases of the coronavirus.
DeSantis will speak from Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. The press conference can be streamed live here.
MONROE COUNTY SUSPENDS DESTINATION TOURISM ADVERTISING
10 a.m.: The Monroe County Tourist Development Council is temporarily suspending paid destination advertising Wednesday as cases of COVID-19 increase in the county containing the Florida Keys.
“We are pausing our advertising efforts for about two weeks in an abundance of caution to monitor infection and potential hospitalization rates,” Tourism Development Council Director Stacey Mitchell said in a statement. “We’ll regroup with county officials shortly before that period ends to discuss the situation and plan accordingly.”
The Keys reopened to tourists on June 1 after spending and have logged 94 new cases since. Prior to reopening to tourism, Monroe County frequently had days with no new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
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 Sunday begins:
▪ Florida’s Department of Health on Saturday confirmed 9,585 additional cases of COVID-19, a new single-day record. The state now has 132,545 confirmed cases.
▪ Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins and her staff handed out supplies to residents in the Little Havana neighborhoods emerging as hotspots for the coronavirus. It’s part of a new “rapid response team” to help curb the spread of the virus through education and precaution.
▪ The Florida Keys played the pandemic with caution, shutting down to visitors for weeks, and it paid off as Monroe County had one of the lowest infection rates in Florida. Since reopening on June 1, cases have spiked.
▪ Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said the plan to shut down county beaches on Independence Day is intended to target “those who are being the most irresponsible and endangering our community’s health and our economic recovery.”
▪ Not only will the county be closing beaches on Independence Day, but the county is also canceling all gatherings of more than 50 people for the holiday weekend.
▪ Pinecrest Mayor Joseph Corradino said house parties are his city’s “largest problem” causing the spread of COVID-19.
▪ With the pandemic canceling camps, limiting volunteer hours and reducing the amount of jobs available, teens across South Florida are trying to find ways to be productive, earn money or clock volunteer hours.
▪ The NBA unveiled its schedule for the remainder of the regular season, which will begin next month in Lake Buena Vista. The Miami Heat opens with the Denver Nuggets.
This story was originally published June 28, 2020 at 9:25 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on June 28."
