Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on August 13
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.
When are movie theaters reopening in South Florida? Two are about to, with COVID rules
2:10 p.m.: AMC Theatres plans to reopen two of its venues in Broward County on Aug. 20 with COVID-19 restrictions in place and a throwback marketing lure.
A spokeswoman for Broward County says that the theaters are permitted to open after fulfilling some county requirements — which include the submission and approval of a reopening and operation plan for COVID-19 mitigation and sanitation.
The chain is also running a Centennial Celebration promo on opening day. Tickets will be 15 cents in honor of the first AMC theater opening in 1920.
Read the story here.
Florida adds 6,236 coronavirus cases as death toll passes 8,900
12:45 p.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Thursday confirmed 6,236 additional cases of COVID-19, pushing the state’s known total to 557,137. An additional 148 Florida resident deaths were also announced, bring the statewide resident death toll to 8,913.
Read the story here.
For Vizcaya, the parties are over. The estate-museum is facing a COVID cash crunch
12:15 p.m.: The cancellation of weddings and corporate events, married with a downturn in visitation, have led to about $3 million in lost revenue for Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami since March. With a 106-year-old building and 10 acres of gardens in need of continuous maintenance, Vizcaya is struggling to keep up with costs.
Read the story here.
What Miami-Dade and Broward’s virtual school will look like
8:30 a.m.: A 100% virtual schedule of interactive lessons, activities and events will be waiting for kids headed back to public school next week in Broward County and at the end of the month in Miami-Dade County.
Everything — regular lessons, band practice, PE classes, field trips — will be held virtually at least until early October, the districts announced this month.
Read the story here.
Miami is a proving ground for rapid COVID tests. Experts say results should be checked
8:25 a.m.: Florida and Miami-Dade County are working together to deploy more than 1,000 rapid coronavirus antigen tests a day, but public health officials have raised concerns about how the results are reported.
Jackson Health System, the county’s public hospital network, started using antigen tests on patients less than a week ago. And Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and Marlins Park in Little Havana are the only state-run test sites that offer the antigen tests, a different brand than Jackson uses, with plans for adding more antigen testing to sites in Broward and Palm Beach counties next week.
But the accuracy of antigen tests is not well understood, and there is not yet an agreed-upon protocol for notifying patients of their results.
Read the story here.
One of Miami’s favorite Christmas traditions is canceled: Seraphic Fire postpones season
8:20 a.m.: Seraphic Fire, the Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble based in Miami, has postponed its fall and winter season, which means you won’t be able to buy a ticket to its popular Christmas concert or its annual staging of Handel’s Messiah.
The vocal group will go online with a modified, multi-media Season S that begins in November and runs through April 2021. There will be six concerts that will highlight music from the ninth to 21st centuries.
Read the story here.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
8:15 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Thursday begins.
▪ A Florida high school has a COVID problem, and the students haven’t even arrived yet
▪ The best and worst social distancing states. How did Florida do in new COVID-19 survey?
▪ Chef Adrianne’s popular Kendall restaurant reopens in a new spot with outdoor dining.
▪ Florida adds 8,109 coronavirus cases as death toll passes 8,700.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 8:52 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on August 13."
