South Florida

How Miami has dealt with COVID-19, loneliness and a financial crisis

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

The following articles explore Miami's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation and financial strain.

Miami quickly implemented shutdowns in March 2020. Schools and offices moved to remote settings, and events were canceled.

Meanwhile, the city also faces a pervasive loneliness crisis, exacerbated by technology's impact on social interactions.

And half of Floridians live paycheck to paycheck. Rising costs, particularly in housing, strain their finances.

See the coverage on how we are coping with the challenges.

Miami-Dade County resident Joanna Moore creates a tombstone for her late mother’s first cousin who recently died from COVID-19. Moore did so after an event on Nov. 24, 2020, to unveil an expanded memorial cemetery in Liberty City’s Simonoff Park for those lost to the coronavirus. Moore’s mother also passed away from COVID-19 in August. By Daniel A. Varela

NO. 1: ‘THIS IS APOCALYPSE NOW.’ THE MOMENT MIAMI BEGAN SHUTTING DOWN AFTER PANDEMIC DECLARED

See in real time what happened to businesses, work places, sports teams and prayer. | Published March 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

A bill in the Florida Legislature would raise the cap — and the fees — on payday loans. By Al Behrman

NO. 2: NEARLY HALF OF FLORIDIANS ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, REPORT FINDS

Only three states — Louisiana, Mississippi and New York — have higher percentages of residents under such financial pressure, United Way found. | Published June 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Max Klaver

Religious Americans report feeling a strong sense of community, despite a national loneliness “epidemic,” according to a new poll.

NO. 3: LONELINESS IN MIAMI IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. IT’S TIME TO REMOVE THE STIGMA | OPINION

Since 2018, Cigna Healthcare has tracked loneliness in the U.S., and the trend is alarming. | Published September 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Marco Vitiello

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.