COVID-19 live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on September 18

Howard Cohen
·3 min read

We’re keeping track of the latest news regarding the coronavirus in South Florida and around the state. Check back for updates throughout the day.

COVID-19 could be the leading cause of death in Miami-Dade County by the year’s end

A figure shows the number of reported deaths compared to actual deaths between March 1st and July 1st for the State of Florida. The deaths are reported on a backlog and may not become clear for a given month until five weeks later. Figure by Gabriel Odom, biostatistics professor at Florida International University’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work.

1:40 p.m.: The death toll from COVID-19 in Miami-Dade County has been enormous this year, putting the disease on pace to be a leading cause of death in the county. Deaths from July are still being counted.

“We have not seen the extent of how bad the summer was,” said Mary Jo Trepka, an epidemiologist and professor at Florida International University’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, earlier this week.

Trepka said that the backlog from deaths that occurred in July and August has pushed the mortality rate beyond 100 deaths per 100,000 people in the county — a level comparable with cancer and heart disease, the two leading causes of death in Miami-Dade.

Read the story here.

Miami-Dade coronavirus death toll hits 3,000 as Florida adds 3,204 new cases

12:30 p.m.: Florida’s Department of Health on Friday confirmed 3,204 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s known total to 677,660. There were also 139 Florida resident deaths announced, bringing the resident death toll to 13,225.

One new non-resident death was also announced, bringing the non-resident toll to 162.

Read the report here.

Cleaning is a high-risk job. These Miami janitors say they haven’t been getting enough PPE

Last December workers protested the low wages paid by cleaning companies that hire subcontracted janitors.
Last December workers protested the low wages paid by cleaning companies that hire subcontracted janitors.

8:25 a.m.: With roughly 30% of the tri-county’s 40,000 janitors working as contractors, according to Census figures, and with many of them in large office buildings and corporate parks, that means thousands of workers could be affected. A survey released this month by the local unit of the Service Employees International Union, SEIU, found that 70% of the 65 janitors surveyed had not been given gloves or masks at some point during the pandemic.

“Janitors are scared,” said Ana Tinsly, senior communications associate for 32BJ SEIU, which represents roughly 400 UM janitors and groundskeepers, and is seeking to represent others.

Read the story here.

Is your county safe for trick-or-treating during COVID-19? New Harvard map can tell you

Harvard Global Health Institute’s COVID-19 risk levels dashboard map is being used by the Hershey’s candy company to promote safer Halloween trick or treating in 2020.
Harvard Global Health Institute’s COVID-19 risk levels dashboard map is being used by the Hershey’s candy company to promote safer Halloween trick or treating in 2020.

8:15 a.m.: As the first Halloween of the COVID-19 pandemic era approaches, county leaders have to weigh in on what they will allow. Even though the number of new cases and deaths has trended down in recent weeks compared to surges in late June and after the July 4th holiday, it’s highly unlikely that South Florida will celebrate Halloween like it’s 2019.

While we await the verdict, the Hershey’s candy company, using a map created by the Harvard Global Health Institute, affords some guidance on the topic where trick or treating is concerned on Oct. 31.

The map of the United States lets users hover over a color-coded county — which is marked green, yellow, orange or red — based on the COVID-19 risk level in that county. Green means the lowest risk and then in ascending value from yellow to orange to red, which represents the highest risk.

Read the story here.

CATCH UP TO START THE DAY

8 a.m.: Here are the coronavirus headlines to catch you up on what’s happening around South Florida and the state as Friday begins.

▪ Fort Lauderdale’s anti-mask mob is as stupid, selfish as it gets amid COVID pandemic | Opinion

▪ Florida resident death toll hits 13,000 as state adds 3,255 new coronavirus cases.

▪ Movie theaters allowed to reopen Friday in Miami-Dade with rules.