Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on August 29
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.
State report shows hundreds test positive for COVID-19 at Florida schools in August
4 p.m.: The Florida Department of Health accidentally released a report on COVID-19 outbreaks at schools across the state — from daycare centers to colleges — and found that nearly 900 students and staffers had tested positive during a two-week period in August as schools had just begun or readied to reopen.
State officials published the six-page draft online on Monday, but then quickly wiped it away a day later. The Herald obtained a copy before it disappeared.
Florida International University infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Mary Jo Trepka said the detailed data was one of the most valuable reports the DOH has produced because it assesses how the virus is affecting the state’s children as they return to the classroom.
Read the story here.
Florida confirms 3,197 new COVID cases and 148 deaths as positivity rate trends down
1:30 p.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Saturday confirmed 3,197 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s known total to 619,003. There were also 148 Florida resident deaths announced, bringing the resident death toll to 11,105.
The number of non-resident deaths increased by one to 144.
Read the story here.
Here is the plan to recover from the worst tourism crisis in Miami history
8:50 a.m.: Miami’s tourism marketing bureau has a plan to lure travelers back to South Florida but says it is short on funds to execute it.
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau is requesting $7.5 million from Miami-Dade County’s $474 million in federal CARES Act funding for its “Miami Land” advertising campaign, targeting people who live within a road trip’s distance and are looking to spend time outdoors. The bureau’s $32 million budget — the majority funded by hotel and restaurant taxes — has dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic as hotel occupancy rates have plunged to record lows.
The Miami Land campaign is the first step to recovery for the city’s tourism industry, the bureau said in a proposal to Miami-Dade commissioners this week.
Read the story here.
As ‘COVID fatigue’ sets in, testing is down and few cooperate with contact tracing
8:30 a.m.: As of mid-August, about 14,200 people cooperated with contact tracers, according to a health department report. But nearly double that number — about 27,150 — chose not to participate or could not be reached. It is not clear whether those were people infected with COVID or their contacts or both.
At the same time, fewer people are being tested for the disease despite state-run testing sites having more capacity than ever. Testing statewide has dropped about 31% from an average of 93,600 a day during the last week of July to an average of 64,100 last week.
Despite the virus’ enormous toll in Miami-Dade — where more than 155,000 people have been infected, and 2,372 have died of the disease — public health experts say there is a natural human tendency to become exhausted, and in some cases, complacent, in the face of prolonged crisis. And as more portions of the economy reopen, including restaurants and professional sports, there’s more to suggest that regular life is resuming.
Read the story here.
Miami-Dade mayor reopening casinos Monday, banking on COVID continuing to improve
8:25 a.m.: Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez will allow casinos to reopen Monday after an eight-week closure, lifting restrictions on the entertainment hubs on the same day he lets restaurants resume indoor dining.
Gimenez did not address the decision publicly, but his office issued a press release on the new order. The announced regulations prohibit drinks and food at slot machines and gambling tables, and customers must wear masks while playing. Like restaurant dining rooms, casinos must limit customers to 50% of maximum capacity.
The decision raises the stakes for Gimenez as he prepares for the second significant easing of COVID restrictions since the coronavirus crisis began in March.
Read the 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 Saturday begins.
▪ Florida tops 615,000 COVID-19 cases as state adds 3,815 infections and 89 deaths.
▪ Gov. Ron DeSantis says air travel is safe from COVID-19, but expert warns of danger in airports.
▪ Florida eyes rapid and sensitive coronavirus test that just hit market.
This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 8:50 AM.
