It’s Monday, March 30 and The United States has reached more than 137,000 cases of COVID-19. President Donald Trump has officially extended social distancing guidelines until April 30 and New Yorkers will be fined $250 to $500 if they violate the order.
Florida has 4,950 confirmed cases and 60 deaths. Miami-Dade spikes to 1,472 cases, continuing to be the state’s hotspot for the virus.
A nurse at Jackson Memorial Hospital has died of COVID-19. Araceli Buendia Ilagan was 63 years old and worked in the intensive care unit. Ilagan is the third person to die of complications of the virus in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Beach city officials released an update on curfew restrictions on Saturday. The city is now allowing restaurants to operate their kitchens past midnight for deliveries only. Dine-in seating is still prohibited.
The city of North Bay Village imposed a curfew on its residents on Saturday. The curfew starts at 10 p.m. Exceptions will be made for traveling to and from work, medical emergencies and essential activities. Condos and associations within the village will also be advised to close all gyms, spas and pools.
The City of Miami shared on Saturday that Charles Hadley Park (1350 NW 50th St.) will be a testing site for the coronavirus starting Tuesday. The location will test residents, who are 65 and older and experiencing symptoms, by appointment only.
According to FIU News, the university has partnered with Baptist Health to 3D print reusable face shields for healthcare workers. The effort started on March 21 and since then, 1,000 face shields have been produced. The first batch is scheduled to be delivered on Saturday.
Larkin Community Hospital, a private hospital located in Hialeah, is being investigated for price-gouging, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The hospital started testing on March 20 and charged $150 per exam. DeSantis said it was unacceptable — explaining that many low-income families shouldn’t be put under additional stress.
Broward County schools distributed laptops to students on Saturday. This is the county’s second laptop distribution. According to Superintendent Supt Runcie, 39,000 laptops were given out. Broward students are scheduled to resume online learning on March 30.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice shared a press release on Sunday stating that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19. The employee has been out of work for the past five days and will not return until fully recovered. The department also assured that no other staff or youth has reported symptoms.
De Santis announced on Saturday at a news conference that he will be implementing checkpoints on I-95. The checkpoints will screen travelers coming from New York and surrounding areas. The announcement follows the initial order to add checkpoints on I-10 in an effort to track down travelers coming from Louisiana. Travelers coming from either state must be prepared to self-isolate for 14 days and report where they will be staying.
On The Caplin News:
Jordan Coll reports that thousands of blood drives have been canceled due to the coronavirus in South Florida. As a result, supplies are expected to fall short. One Blood, a Red Cross partner, has centers throughout the area where people can safely donate blood.
Tweet of the day:
me 30 secs after quarantine ends pic.twitter.com/EEtDk7M3al
— Fred Delicious (@Fred_Delicious) March 29, 2020
