Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on July 22
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.
What happens if you go back to work outside the house and your dog is alone again?
4:10 p.m.: There will come a time when we will return to some semblance of normal and get back out of the house. For those of us who have been working from home our pets may have gotten a bit too accustomed to having us by their side all day.
But what happens if schools open or the coronavirus flattens enough that we can return to the office?
Pumpkin Pet Insurance Veterinarian Dr. Justine Lee has some tips to make life post-quarantine easier on your dog:
▪ Desensitize pups to the new schedule. Acclimate dogs by doing things like stepping outside for varying lengths of time, putting your shoes on at random times, or opening or closing the garage door without leaving the house. By creating new associations with such conduct, pups will be less likely to attribute them to mean their owners will be gone for 8-9 hours.
▪ Encourage alone time. Start encouraging “alone time” and independent play, if you haven’t already, so pets can become used to physical distance from owners. Toys placed in another room can keep your dog entertained for extended periods.
▪ Create a safe space. A go-to room or a crate where the animal feels comfortable could help. Create positive associations with the designated space by giving pets their meals or treats there. “Ensure the location remains accessible even when parents are around so that the area isn’t solely associated with the owner’s absence,” Lee suggests.
▪ Pet-proof the house. Consider a baby cam so you can monitor your dog’s behavior when it’s alone. Act accordingly. Secure trash bins. Some dogs like peaceful music or talk radio, a ceiling fan, or something soothing when you’re away.
▪ Remain quiet and calm when leaving and entering the home to avoid riling up your dog.
▪ Consult your vet for advice if necessary.
Inter Miami defender reveals he was player who tested positive for COVID-19
3:15 p.m.: Defender Christian Makoun revealed on Instagram Tuesday afternoon that he is the Inter Miami player who tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-June.
He has since tested negative twice, is feeling better and was cleared to travel with the team to the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, where he was with his teammates in the bubble. But Makoun did not play in any of the three games.
When Inter Miami announced one of its players had tested positive, the club did not name the player and said only that he was asymptomatic.
Read the full story here.
DeSantis ignored U.S. senators’ request for info on CARES Act spending, Rick Scott says
1:45 p.m.: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has ignored a request for information about how Florida has spent and allocated hundreds of millions of federal dollars from a massive coronavirus bailout package, two U.S. senators said Wednesday.
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., wrote Tuesday to Senate colleagues that only eight states responded to a letter they and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sent on June 15 requesting information on how each state had spent money from a $150 billion cononavirus financial aid package distributed as part of the $2.9 trillion CARES Act and whether Medicaid costs had risen as a result of the coronavirus.
The state was not among the eight states that provided information, they said.
“We are disappointed in the lack of response from 42 states,” the senators wrote in the letter to their Senate colleagues, which they both signed and released Wednesday to reporters.
Read the full story here.
Miami-Dade hits 92,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases as Florida’s total rises to 379,619
11:30 a.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Wednesday confirmed 9,785 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s known total to 379,619. There were also 139 new Florida resident deaths announced, bringing the statewide resident death toll to 5,345.
Miami-Dade County, which has the state’s highest numbers, reported 2,788 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 17 new deaths. The county has now surpassed 90,000 confirmed cases.
Read the full story here.
Confused about curfews amid coronavirus? Here’s what you need to know
10:10 a.m.: Are you having a hard time keeping up with all of the new rules surrounding the coronavirus?
You are not alone. The rules seems to change daily (sometimes hourly).
And they are often different for each county, particularly for curfews.
Click here for a list of curfews you need to know about.
Worried about bringing COVID home? How to get a free isolation room at a Miami hotel
9:35 a.m.: People in Miami-Dade County exposed to COVID-19 can now call a “help line” to isolate inside a free hotel room instead of at home to help protect their more at-risk family members from falling ill.
The new phone line is part of the county’s hotel isolation program, in partnership with the state of Florida, to limit the spread of the disease among multi-generational families living under one roof.
The county has 500 isolation hotel rooms available in the program. Of those rooms, 100 will be paid for by the county. The other 400 will be paid for by the state.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise, five new testing sites in Miami-Dade and Broward open
9:25 a.m.: Options to get a COVID-19 test continue to grow.
On Friday, five federally funded drive-thru testing sites will open in Miami-Dade and Broward, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced.
The sites, which run daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be open through Aug. 2.
See the list of new testing sites here.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
9:20 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Wednesday begins.
▪ State adds 9,440 coronavirus cases as South Florida’s known total passes 160,000
▪ Expensive Miami private schools got millions in PPP loans. So did charter schools
▪ You’re not wearing a mask in South Florida? Here’s how much it could cost you
▪ Miami-Dade changes COVID reporting calculations to align with state
▪ Federal unemployment benefit ends Saturday. DeSantis ‘not following’ Congress on that.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on July 22."
