Coronavirus update: Miami Lakes and Hialeah curfews, Hard Rock tops out and Palmetto nurse dies

Florida has now surpassed 21,000 cases and has tallied 500 deaths. Miami-Dade County now leads the state in cases and deaths.

Today is Tuesday, April 14 and according to CDC director Robert Redfield, the United States is nearing its peak as cases pass 580,000. Florida Surgeon General said social distancing will be the new normal until a vaccine is available.

The cities of Miami Lakes, Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens imposed a mandatory curfew on Monday. It will run for the next 10 days from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in efforts to keep cases from rising during the most crucial week for the area.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced on Monday that he will be implementing two groups to come up with strategies to get the community back up and running economically and in general.

The Hispanic Police Officers Association of Miami-Dade shared on Monday that the organization has donated 5,000 N95 masks to the county’s police departments with the help of Pro Insurance Consultants. Police agencies at FIU, the University of Miami and Opa-locka are among those that have received the donations.

A Palmetto General Hospital nurse died due to complications of COVID-19. Danielle Discensio was 33 and died last Thursday in her living room leaving behind her husband and a 4-year-old daughter. According to her husband, Discensio’s last work day was somewhere in mid-March, and her test results came back inconclusive.

Carnival Cruise Lines announced on Monday that they will be extending their pause on cruises for North America until June 27. The cruise line added that they will be getting into contact with guests that had reservations before that date. Their Doral headquarters still remain closed.

A Royal Caribbean crew member died on Sunday due to COVID-19, shortly after being evacuated from the ship. 14 people on board the ship are reported positive and nine passengers have been admitted to hospitals throughout the state in the last two weeks.

The Hard Rock Stadium testing site reached capacity at 10:34 a.m., the Florida Association of PIO’s shared on Monday. Those who passed the gates before the site closed down were able to get screened. The site has 400 tests available daily; 393 were tested on Monday. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last Friday that anyone with symptoms could be tested starting this week.

The Networking for Christ Ministry in Hollywood partnered up with Feeding South Florida to help give away free breakfast to children, WSVN 7 reported on Monday. The organization will be distributing at 6122 Washington St. every weekday morning.

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association will be holding a no confidence vote on Sheriff Gregory Tony, Local 10 confirmed on Monday. The deputies will be given the opportunity to vote until next Monday. The president of the association, Jeff Bell, was suspended last week after criticizing Tony’s handling of deputies’ safety.

Broward Circuit Judge Dennis Bailey issued a warning to all county lawyers on Monday that Zoom hearings are not casual phone conversations and lawyers will still be held accountable if they appear unprofessional.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday that $100 billion will be distributed to hospitals amid the pandemic. Jackson Memorial Hospital only received $16.5 million from the coronavirus relief bill. The hospital is currently losing billions of dollars since all elective surgeries have been postponed.

Tweet of the day:

Article by Mickaella Mori, video by Andrea Igliozzi

Mickaella is a senior at FIU, currently majoring in Journalism and looking forward to a Spring 2020 graduation. She was born in New Jersey but moved to Miami at the age of 7. Missing the fall foliage, winter snow and 24/7 deli’s, she plans to move back up north to New York after graduation and further enhance her career.

Andrea Igliozzi is a journalist originally from Caracas, Venezuela. From politics to arts, she has a passion for telling well-founded stories through video and multimedia platforms. She is qualified in front and behind the cameras.