Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on October 2
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.
As Titans deal with COVID-19 outbreak, healthy Miami Dolphins fortify their ‘bubble’
3:02 p.m.: The NFL’s first true COVID-19 outbreak is unfolding hundreds of miles to the north, the Miami Dolphins — like all 32 teams — are monitoring closely, and responding accordingly.
Five Tennessee Titans players have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the league to postpone this weekend’s Titans-Steelers game.
Meanwhile, the NFL has handed out more than a million dollars in fines to coaches eschewing the NFL’s sideline mask policy and the Raiders are under investigation after several players were photographed maskless at an indoor charity event.
Add to the unease: Florida cases are again ticking up as the state as significantly relaxed — if not eliminated altogether — rules on masks, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Read the full story here.
Miami’s teachers union seeks PPE, sanitation donations ahead of school reopening Monday
12:04 p.m. As Miami-Dade’s public schools scramble to welcome back students into the classroom beginning Monday, the teachers union is collecting donations of PPE and sanitation supplies for educators.
The United Teachers of Dade has been making unannounced visits to schools to check for spaced-out desks, hand sanitizers and clear signage for social distancing and designated seating. They’ve said while some schools are prepared, others aren’t, with some supplies on back order.
“Let’s focus on reopening safely by giving our education workforce the supplies that they need so that the protective bubbles that we have ensured for our students can continue to protect us,” said union president Karla Hernandez-Mats.
To learn more about how you can donate, click here.
Broward Schools accepts earlier reopening after state agrees to it
11:20 a.m.: After the state education commissioner pushed them to reopen classrooms earlier than they had planned or risk losing millions in funding, Broward County School Board members shaved a few days off the initial reopening date, pushing it up to Oct. 9, from Oct. 14.
During a more than five-hour emergency meeting Thursday, the board voted unanimously to welcome back students in a staggered start, from Friday, Oct. 9 to Thursday, Oct. 15.
Click here to learn more about the timeline.
Florida universities are canceling spring break because of COVID-19
10:40 a.m.: The University of Miami and Florida International University have joined a growing list of schools across the country that are canceling spring break to reduce the risk of students, faculty and staff bringing COVID-19 back to campus after their travels.
“In lieu of spring break, which would significantly heighten the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the semester will feature two Wellness Wednesdays to give students a break from instruction,” UM President Julio Frenk said in a video message to the university community Wednesday.
UM’s spring semester is slated to begin Jan. 25, a week later than initially scheduled.
At FIU, the cancellation of spring break was announced during a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday, according to PantherNOW, the university’s student-run media outlet.
Universities in Miami-Dade, the county hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, aren’t the only ones in Florida axing spring break from their plans.
Read the full story here.
Trump’s Friday Florida rally nixed; Miami debate in doubt
10 a.m.: President Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test is forcing the cancellation of a Friday rally in Central Florida and throwing the debate in Miami with Democratic nominee Joe Biden into question.
Trump announced on Twitter early Friday morning that he and First Lady Melania Trump had contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Their announcement followed reports that a top Trump aide, Hope Hicks, had tested positive.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19,” Trump tweeted at 12:54 a.m. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife tested negative for the novel coronavirus, his press secretary tweeted Friday morning.
The White House quickly revised the president’s schedule, which had previously included a planned rally at an airport in Sanford in Central Florida.
Read the full story here.
CATCH UP TO START THE DAY
9:30 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Friday begins.
▪ Florida adds more than 100 COVID-19 deaths again and 2,628 cases
▪ Cities scrambled to prepare to meet in person. DeSantis is letting them stay virtual.
▪ 3 people who work at a Miami courthouse have COVID-19. Here’s who needs to self-monitor
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 10:21 AM.
