Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on July 30
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.
Cities to Gimenez: Freeze CARES Act spending until we get our fair share
5 p.m.: Mayors banded together Thursday to send a scathing message to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, saying he misled them about the slice of federal CARES Act money their cities would receive and calling on him to rethink the issue.
At a press conference outside Miami City Hall, the mayors — many of whom, like Gimenez, are Republicans — said county staff led city leaders to believe they would receive around $135 million of the county’s $474 million share of federal COVID-19 relief dollars, but later cut off communication before decreasing the cities’ proposed amount to just $30 million on Monday.
Read the full story here.
South Florida prison tallies most inmate COVID-19 deaths among Florida facilities
4:40 p.m.: A South Florida prison Thursday emerged as the deadliest COVID-19 facility in the state’s prison system.
The state reported nine COVID-19 deaths among inmates at the South Florida Reception Center, a mixed youth and adult men’s facility in Doral, near Miami.
The total number of inmates who have died of the highly contagious respiratory disease rose from 46 to 49 overnight, according to Department of Corrections data. Two of the new deaths announced were inmates at the South Florida Reception Center.
The South Florida prison, which holds 1,100 inmates, has 132 infected inmates. By that count, 7% of those infected with COVID-19 have died.
Read the full story here.
19 Marlins have tested positive for COVID-19 as MLB investigates team’s past behavior
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2:30 p.m.: With 19 Miami Marlins — including 17 players — having tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into the team’s on-field and off-field behavior in an attempt to determine how the Marlins’ outbreak happened and try to limit the likelihood of a similar outbreak in the future.
MLB also has updated its COVID-19 safety measures in the wake of the Marlins’ issues.
Read the full story here.
COVID testing at Florida-run drive-thru and walk-up sites suspended due to tropical storm
1 p.m.: All state-supported drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites will temporarily close right after due to threat of Tropical Storm Isaias.
That means popular testing sites will be closed until Tuesday morning, by state order. These include Hard Rock Stadium, Marlins Park, Miami Beach Convention Center and Tropical Park in Miami-Dade; CB Smith Park, Mitchell Moore Park, War Memorial and Sawgrass Mills in Broward; and Town Center at Boca Raton Mall and Florida Atlantic University in Palm Beach County.
Read the full story here.
Miami meteorologist Betty Davis still testing positive for coronavirus
Noon: WPLG Local 10 chief meteorologist Betty Davis had been briefly hospitalized about two weeks ago with the highly contagious illness and is currently recuperating at home.
Davis told her Facebook followers on Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19 after her hospital stay and remains quarantined.
The weather expert said she doesn’t feel 100 percent, but is better than a few weeks ago and gave thanks to her husband for taking care of her: “Let’s just say our quarantine game is tight.”
Read the story here.
DeSantis extends evictions, foreclosures due to COVID-19 pandemic.
11:30 a.m.: Foreclosure and eviction deadlines have again been pushed back, giving Floridians who have been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic a little time to pay their housing bills.
For the fourth time since the ban was first signed in April, Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended an executive order that prevents foreclosures and evictions. The deadline has been delayed to 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 1, the order said.
Read the full story here.
In other state news, Democrats are demanding that Gov. DeSantis explain why Florida isn’t following the White House’s COVID plan as cases surge and deaths break new records day after day.
South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn sent a letter to DeSantis and Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday after the latest policy guidelines from the task force appear to be more stringent than the current policies in place in most of Florida.
Read the full story here.
Florida sees 253 coronavirus deaths, breaking a record for the third day in a row
11:05 a.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Thursday confirmed 9,956 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s known total to 461,379. There were also 253 Florida resident deaths announced, breaking a fatality record for the third consecutive day.
Read the full story here.
A new generation of COVID tests may be Florida’s best shot at containing virus spread
9:45 a.m.: Cheap, lower-sensitivity but rapid coronavirus tests have hit the market in the last two to three weeks. These may not catch everyone, but scientists say the tests could be used for effective surveillance and reshape testing.
More than a dozen companies are developing the tests, which require no specialized equipment and have rapid and easy-to-read results. The tests — which measure a protein called an antigen that signals an immune response to the virus — first started hitting the market in May. Florida began using them this month at state-run testing sites.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the 411 on storm preparation in the COVID-19 era and beyond
8:40 a.m.: If anything can nudge the coronavirus conversation to another topic, it’s South Florida in the cone of a storm.
On Thursday, Tropical Storm Isaias hit Puerto Rico with heavy rains and high winds and could bring tropical storm conditions to South Florida by the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The time has been here awhile to get your hurricane season preparations in order. Given the complications of COVID-19, the time is now to get supplies and a plan formulated.
Read the full story here.
They refused to quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, police say. They ended up in a Keys jail
8:30 a.m.: Two Key West residents who tested positive for the novel coronavirus were jailed Wednesday night after defying a quarantine order from the state health department, the city manager said.
Jose Antonio Freire Interian, 24, and Yohana Anahi Gonzalez, 26, were arrested at 6:27 p.m. at a home in the 1800 block of Harris Avenue in the island’s New Town neighborhood.
They refused to follow quarantine laws, said Bob Eadie, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.
Read the full story here.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
8:25 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Thursday begins.
▪ Miami-Dade County Public Schools to begin school year online only and later Aug. 31 date.
▪ Norwegian Cruise Line cancels cruises until November.
▪ Counties enforce COVID-19 restrictions on Florida’s lobster miniseason.
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 8:57 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on July 30."
