Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on July 17
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.
Cracking down on those who don’t follow the rules
6 p.m.: The city of Miami will on Monday no longer issue warnings to people violating a mandate to wear masks in public. At a Friday afternoon press conference, Mayor Francis Suarez warned of a crackdown beginning Monday.
“We will be going directly to fining people for not wearing masks,” Suarez said.
The fines will be:
▪ First violation - $50.
▪ Second - $150.
▪ Third - $500.
The mayor said officials from local hospitals and public health experts have asked local political leaders to enforce mask orders to curb the spread of the virus. He added that the city is not currently considering a stay-at-home order, but that could come later if the COVID metrics do not improve. Suarez said such an order should only be implemented in collaboration with Miami-Dade County and other cities, to send a clear unified message to residents.
White House report puts Florida in the COVID ‘red zone,’ recommends more stringent steps
5 p.m.: In a report not yet made public, the White House Coronavirus Task Force classifies Florida in the “red zone” — among 10 states at the most risk for continued spread because of high case numbers and high percentage of positive tests.
That’s certainly not surprising given Florida’s surging cases and a mounting death toll. But the state is also currently following only some of the recommendations the federal public health experts recommend in the report.
The report obtained by the Center for Public Integrity was dated July 14 but not posted publicly.
Read the full story here.
As COVID-19 persists, parties do, too. A new 8 p.m. curfew will lock down South Beach
4:50 p.m.: After several later evening curfews did little to limit crowds in South Beach, the city of Miami Beach will impose an 8 p.m. curfew in its entertainment district — the third curfew in the city in July alone.
City Manager Jimmy Morales told the City Commission on Friday that he planned to impose the earlier curfew in the city’s entertainment district on Ocean Drive, Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue from Fifth to 16th streets. The northern tip of the city’s entertainment district, on Ocean Terrace from 73rd to 75th streets, will not be affected by the curfew, a spokeswoman said.
The new order, which was signed Friday at 3 p.m., will take effect Saturday. The rest of the city remains under a 10 p.m. curfew imposed by Miami-Dade County.
Read the full story here.
Gov. DeSantis’ COVID strategy: Talk about the good, avoid talking about how to prevent the bad
3:30 p.m.: Since the onset of COVID, even as infections and deaths have soared, Florida Gov. DeSantis has delivered a shifting, politically convenient narrative focused on defending his actions.
As Florida recorded its worst week of coronavirus deaths, a bi-partisan group of South Florida mayors met Gov. Ron DeSantis on the 29th floor of Miami-Dade County’s government center Tuesday with a request: Please deliver a consistent and urgent message that people need to act responsibly.
It was an extraordinary plea for messaging help from the most prominent leaders in the new global epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, where the infection rate among people tested had risen to 25%. DeSantis wore a mask as he made his remarks, for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. So did the mayors.
But if Miami’s mayors wanted the governor to change his approach, it didn’t appear to work.
Read the full story here.
Florida closes emergency operations center after 12 staff test positive
2 p.m.: Florida officials shut down the state’s emergency operations center on Thursday after 12 staffers tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks.
The building, which functions as the state’s command center during statewide emergencies, is closed until Monday and will undergo a deep cleaning, according to the Division of Emergency Management, which operates the center.
Read the full story here.
COVID-19 hits two of Miami-Dade’s largest police departments as enforcement ramps up
1:15 p.m.: The rapid recent rise in coronavirus infections in South Florida has begun to put a dent in some South Florida police departments.
In the past few weeks Miami and Miami Beach have lost more than 10% of their sworn forces, with officers either testing positive for the quickly-spreading virus, or out awaiting a test result because they were in close proximity to someone who contracted the disease.
As of Thursday in Miami, that meant 140 of its more than 1,300 police officers were at home recuperating or nervously waiting to find out if they’d been infected. For Miami Beach, 41 of its 400-person force are at home.
But it comes at a particularly sensitive time as both cities have plans to increase patrols to enforce tougher orders with the virus raging through the region.
Read the full story here.
Another restaurant shuts for good amid the COVID-19 pandemic
11:55 a.m.: Miami-Dade’s only California Pizza Kitchen, long a fixture on Coral Gables’ Miracle Mile across the street from Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, has closed for good.
According to an e-mail sent to its dine rewards members, the chain has closed the location citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in South Florida and “related lease challenges with our landlords.”
The closest CPK location, then, is the one in Pembroke Lakes Mall in Broward County’s Pembroke Pines.
Florida adds more than 100 deaths for the fourth consecutive day
11:20 a.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Friday confirmed 11,466 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 327,241. There were also 128 new Florida resident deaths announced, bringing the statewide resident death toll to 4,805.
Read the story here.
Some Floridians worry contact tracing calls are scams. State urges you to respond
10:30 a.m.: Elysee Bernstein received a call July 10 from someone claiming to work for the Florida Department of Health, telling her she had tested positive for COVID-19.
She was confused since she had already received a negative result online from the Lincoln Park testing center she visited in Fort Lauderdale. The caller asked Bernstein to provide her Social Security number, address, name and phone number. She feared it was a scam and immediately hung up.
Bernstein and many other Floridians are worried about responding to contact tracing calls. State and local a governments have repeatedly urged people to answer contact tracer questions, which they say are a major key to help control the surging spread of COVID-19. But they also acknowledge there could be scammers looking to exploit a public health crisis. The Attorney General’s Office is even looking into some complaints.
Read the full story here.
COVID-19 testing trucks allow more testing in Miami Beach
10 a.m.: Aardvark Mobile Tours adapted its resources to create Aardvark Mobile Health testing trucks. One is on the market in Miami Beach and tests about 200 people per day.
The first 30 minutes of testing in Miami Beach has been for first responders, and the rest of the time is walk-up.
The truck’s location is 2101 Collins Ave. through July 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will then move to North Miami Beach and continue making its rounds throughout the islands.
Read the full story here.
University of Miami is testing coronavirus vaccines — and it’s looking for volunteers
8:50 a.m.: The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is looking for volunteers in South Florida who are willing to roll up their sleeves and be part of a nationwide study to test potential COVID-19 vaccines.
The university’s medicine school is a major research center for infectious diseases, primarily HIV and AIDS, and was selected to be part of a study led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Prevention Network to look into possible novel coronavirus vaccines.
Infectious disease expert and associate professor of clinical medicine Dr. Susanne Doblecki-Lewis will be leading UM’s research team during the trials, alongside co-investigator Dr. Maria Alcaide.
Read the full story here.
Florida’s House Democrats demand stay-at-home orders, mandatory masks statewide
8:35 a.m.: Nearly all of Florida’s Democratic congressional delegation is calling for targeted stay-at-home orders and a statewide mask order as the state’s coronavirus death toll breaks records, reports the Miami Herald’s Washington correspondent Alex Daugherty.
In a letter sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday and obtained by the Miami Herald, 12 of Florida’s 13 Democrats in the House of Representatives urged the governor “to finally take strong action to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in Florida.”
The letter is the latest — and most substantial — call from public officials to impose measures that would close parts of Florida’s economy to stop the spread of COVID-19. Miami-Dade County has rolled back portions of its reopening and implemented a mask order but Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has so far resisted calls for a stay-at-home order in the state’s largest coronavirus hotspot.
Read the full story here.
COVID-19 races through Miami’s federal prison
8:25 a.m.: Miami’s Federal Correctional Institution went from prison to a petri dish in the span of a couple of weeks.
Roughly a week ago, FCI had a handful of confirmed infections — not good but better than many prison compounds. Thursday, according to the Bureau of Prisons website, the number had leaped to 93, a colony of vomiting, headachy coughing captives.
Kareen Troitino, the FCI Miami corrections officer union president, said COVID-19 has become a serious problem at the facility since July 1.
Read the full story here.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
8:20 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Friday begins.
▪ Jackson Health bears brunt of HHS’ funding error. Make Miami hospital whole — now| Editorial.
▪ How CEOs are dealing with a renewed surge in COVID-19.
▪ ‘Please add a croqueta to my steak sandwich’: Miami gets weird on Uber Eats.
▪ Publix requiring customers to wear masks at all stores as coronavirus pandemic continues.
▪ Florida sees another coronavirus fatality record of 156 as nearly 14,000 new cases added.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 9:03 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on July 17."
