Coronavirus update: Hialeah’s curfew, Jackson president’s positive test and Broward ALF’s new cases

It is Tuesday, March 31 and the first U.S. service member has died of COVID-19, which leaves the nation with a total of 502 deaths. Unemployment claims in the country could hit 4.5 million according to Moody’s Analytics, with 78% of Americans ordered to stay at home. 

Florida now has 5,704 cases, a 15% increase in just the last 24 hours. The state has also tallied 11 additional deaths, three of them in Palm Beach County and one in Broward.

The mayor of Hialeah, Carlos Hernandez, announced Monday that the city will enforce a curfew on residents. It took effect last night at 11 p.m. Exceptions will be made for essential travel, medical emergencies, dog walking and delivery services.

WSVN 7 reported that Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho expects remote learning to go on longer than originally planned. Students were scheduled to return to their classrooms by April 15. Carvalho warned parents that as cases in Florida keep rising, remote learning will continue.

The Jackson Health System released an announcement on Monday afternoon stating that president and CEO Carlos Migoya had tested positive for the virus. Migoya was tested after being exposed to others suffering from the disease and will continue his job functions while self-isolating.

Nicole Krauss, a spokeswoman for Publix, said on Monday that the company will continue to be keenly focused on intensive, ongoing measures in all stores after an employee tested positive for the virus in Miami-Dade. The store, located at 9420 SW 56th St., proceeded with a deep-cleaning under the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “As an essential service provider, the health and well-being of our customers, associates and communities are our top priority,” Krauss said. 

Local 10 reported on Monday that Barry University healthcare students will be given the option to graduate early amid the coronavirus pandemic. The new date is April 11.

Winn-Dixie grocery stores will be helping out first responders and healthcare workers amid the crisis. The chain began opening exclusively to them from 8 to 9 p.m. on Monday and will continue to do so every Monday and Tuesday till further notice. The chains Fresco y Mas will also stay open late at the same times.

Five Star Premier Residences of Hollywood announced that both an employee and a resident had tested positive for COVID-19. According to facility officials, they notified the Broward County Health Department once the cases were confirmed. The assisted living facility now has two residents hospitalized. 

Broward County students and parents reported having technical difficulties with remote learning platforms on the first day back from spring break on Monday. Superintendent Robert Runcie acknowledged that 80,000 students either couldn’t access their assignments or had slow-performance issues. Runcie added that the school department will work closely with the vendor to provide more capacity.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a news conference on Monday that he will be signing a safer-at-home executive order for residents of Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. The order will ask residents to stay home until the middle of May. DeSantis added that he will be allowing retired law enforcement and healthcare workers to help with the outbreak. 

FPL announced on Monday that it will be granting residential customers a one-time decrease of approximately 25% to their bills for May. Businesses will also benefit from a discount, but that will vary by rate class. 

On The Caplin News: Bianca Marcof writes on the impact of the coronavirus on Miami-Dade criminal courts. 

Multimedia story of the day: The Pew Research Center released a report stating that those financially hit by the pandemic have experienced some sort of psychological distress and nearly one in five adults have had a physical reaction when thinking about the outbreak. The data presented was collected from March 19 to 24. 

Pew

Tweet of the day:

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.