COVID and vaccine live updates: What you should know in South Florida on Aug. 11
COVID-19 cases are rising in Florida, fueled by the spread of the more contagious delta variant.
We’re seeing long lines in testing sites again. Lines for vaccines are short and the shots are easier to find, too. Besides county-run sites, many pharmacies have Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in stock.
Some places are issuing mask mandates, requiring employees to get vaccinated or are imposing other COVID-19 protocols to help stop the disease spread.
Here’s what else you should know about COVID-19 in South Florida today:
Hospitalizations keep rising in Florida
12:45 p.m.: Most hospitalization numbers related to COVID-19 patients in Florida continued rising, both in gross numbers and percentages, according to an update Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The state reset its record for current COVID-19 hospitalizations for the 11th consecutive day, this time at 15,449, an increase of 280 over Tuesday’s report. That accounts for 28% of all hospitalizations among the 232 hospitals reporting.
The intensive care units at those hospitals have 3,114 COVID-19 patients, the HHS said, 54 more than Tuesday. That’s 47.6% of all ICU patients in reporting Florida facilities.
Can employers require workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
10:40 a.m.: More businesses, including some in Florida, are requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as concerns over the more contagious delta variant continues to grow.
While COVID-19 vaccines are optional, the federal government has said employers have the right to require workers who will physically be in the workplace to get vaccinated, even while the shots are still under emergency-use authorization.
Accommodations must still be made for people who cannot get the vaccine because of a disability or a religious belief, practice, or observance.
Delta is fueling Florida’s worst COVID wave
10:15 a.m.: In a matter of weeks, the highly contagious delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has fueled the worst spike in new infections since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to an el Nuevo Herald analysis of state-level data.
Florida’s COVID-related hospitalizations have broken daily records for 10 days in a row, according to daily data published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Many hospitals have canceled elective procedures to save space and ensure staff and resources are available for the flood of new patients. The state has also shattered single-day records for new cases four times in past two weeks.
Unlike the past surges of COVID-19 cases, where the elderly made up the majority of severe cases, this new wave is increasingly affecting younger populations as well. In terms of the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19, Florida has ranked among the two worst states in the nation.
There are some COVID rules at Miami courthouses again
8:10 a.m.: Miami-Dade County courthouses have had to make changes to accommodate an emergency shutdown of the historic downtown courthouse for repairs. The courts also have a mask mandate again because of the surge of COVID-19 cases in Florida.
All of the courts are open for in-person services, except for 73 W. Flagler St. in downtown Miami. The 1928 courthouse, which handles civil cases, was ordered closed for repairs in July after a building inspection found safety concerns.
However, keep in mind that some departments might not accept walk-ins because of the pandemic. Marriage licenses, for example, can only be issued in-person by appointment only, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Some trials and hearings are also being held virtually.
Florida schools requiring masks under investigation for ‘non-compliance’, education
8:10 a.m.: At least three Florida school districts are defying Gov. Ron DeSantis as they impose mask mandates with some medical exceptions, even as his administration threatens to withhold the pay of superintendents and school board members that go against his orders.
DeSantis’ administration has signaled it intends to follow through with threats to dock the salaries of school officials who vote to not give parents the full and unilateral ability to opt their children out of mask mandates. Broward County Public Schools on Tuesday became the third district in the state to resist the governor, joining Alachua and Leon counties.
All three school districts received a letter from the Florida Department of Education, notifying school officials that the department had launched “an investigation of non-compliance” into the district’s decision.
Masks mandatory in Broward schools, defying governor’s order
8:10 a.m.: The Broward County School Board has voted to keep its existing mask mandate in place for the 2021-2022 school year. The decision defies the governor’s order, which requires face coverings to be optional and threatens to withhold the salaries of superintendents and School Board members who don’t comply.
The School Board voted 8-1 to retain the mask mandate members had previously approved on July 28. The mandate requires everyone — students, faculty, staff and visitors — to wear a mask inside schools and on buses, with exceptions for students with medical conditions or individual education plans.
What you missed
▪ After Florida’s health department disputed three days’ worth of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the CDC says the state saw 15,322 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. Even after correcting the record, CDC weekend numbers still do not match state figures.
▪ Florida now has more than 15,000 people hospitalized for COVID-19, breaking its hospitalization record again, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
▪ Nicklaus Children’s Hospital near South Miami announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees and vendors.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 8:19 AM with the headline "COVID and vaccine live updates: What you should know in South Florida on Aug. 11."
