Coronavirus Florida: What will and won’t reopen in the Jupiter area Wednesday
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Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized data from Jupiter Medical Center. The figures describe the total number of tests, not the total number of people tested.
JUPITER — Leaders kicked off the process of reopening parts of Palm Beach County on Monday, saying residents can hit up recreation areas starting Wednesday.
There are a number of nuances, though, and some spots will remain closed.
DuBois Park and the Juno Beach Pier, for example, won’t reopen Wednesday because the county considers them beach parks.
Other county and town parks in the Jupiter area will be open. Jupiter spokeswoman Kate Moretto said late Tuesday morning that the town was finalizing a list of what will and will not reopen Wednesday.
For example, Moretto said Jupiter will likely keep playground-centric parks, such as Old Town Hall Park, closed because the county’s new order requires playgrounds remain closed.
Notably for Jupiter, boat ramps will reopen for recreational use. There are various limits on boat capacity and a host of prohibited activities that include congregating on sandbars or shorelines.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that violations could lead to arrests, civil fines and boats being towed.
Also opening: golf courses, including the Abacoa Golf Club.
The county’s order, which does not reopen beaches, can be found here.
New testing site in Jupiter
A walk-up test site run by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County at 411 W Indiantown Road should open Thursday.
Call 561.642.1000 to schedule a free appointment. Up to 150 tests are expected to be conducted each day.
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The latest case and death totals
There have been 130 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Jupiter and two each in Tequesta and Juno Beach, according to figures from the state released Monday.
Disclaimer: The numbers don’t appear to reflect municipal boundaries, so some of those cases may be in unincorporated areas.
Countywide, there were 155 confirmed deaths and 2,763 confirmed cases. There were about 4,700 confirmed cases in Broward County and about 11,400 in Miami-Dade.
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The state lets you search for the total number of cases by zip code here.
At Jupiter Medical Center’s Lab, 311 tests have been conducted. Of those, 79 tests were positive for the coronavirus, according to the state.
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Donations dropped off the Jupiter Medical Center
Early Tuesday, the Fresh Rx initiative dropped off 200 bags of produce, bread and eggs to healthcare workers at Jupiter Medical Center.
Margaret Duriez, co-founder of Fresh Rx, said many of the items came from farms in South Florida.
“It made sense ... so they can be strong and feeling good when they’re probably facing some challenges at work with COVID-19 being part of their daily lives there,“ Duriez said.
Local benefactor dies
Last week, Furry Friends no-kill animal shelter confirmed that its chairman of the board and longtime benefactor Herb Baum died of COVID-19. He was 83.
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What’s up with local governments?
Jupiter’s town council will meet Tuesday -- online only. It last met two weeks ago to swear in incumbent Ron Delaney and newcomer Cameron May.
Jupiter’s town hall on Military Trail is still closed to public business. If you need to reach town staff, use the online directory to find the appropriate person to call.
showard@pbpost.com
@SamuelHHoward