Florida’s coronavirus cases are now at 12,350 with the state’s death toll at 221, an increase in comparison to Sunday morning’s numbers of 12,151 cases and 218 deaths respectively. Central Florida has 1,696 reported cases—an increase of 30 based on Sunday morning’s 1,636 numbers, although no new deaths were reported in the region as of Sunday evening.
On Sunday afternoon, a 10th TSA worker at Orlando International Airport tested positive for the coronavirus. Based on reports, the TSA screening officer last worked March 23 at the West Checkpoint from 4:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The first worker tested positive March 14 and has since been in quarantine.
Florida government and medical leaders say they are preparing for far worse conditions than we’ve seen so far, prompting them to create bed space in hospitals, recruit more medical staff, create field hospitals and stockpile ventilators — earlier in the crisis than New York did, they say. New York remains the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, with over 122,000 reported cases and over 4,100 deaths.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday the number of daily deaths had dropped slightly, along with intensive care admissions and the number of patients who need breathing tubes inserted. Still, he warned it was “too early to tell” the significance of those numbers.
Americans braced for what the nation’s top doctor warned Sunday would be “the hardest and saddest week” of their lives. “This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment,” U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told “Fox News Sunday.”
By Monday morning, U.S cases topped 337 with the death toll more than 9,600. Worldwide, there are over 1.27 million cases and over 69,000 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center. More than 264,000 people have recovered worldwide, most from China.
As cases continue to increase, new data paints a bleak portrait for hospitals: 60% of the state’s 6,000 ICU beds are already taken while there’s still about a month before experts say cases will peak here. While patient counts and deaths get the most attention, experts say the number of hospitalizations is key to determining whether the state is running out of beds, intensive care units and essential equipment such as ventilators and N95 masks.
But Florida’s emergency management chief said Sunday the state would be able to meet the need for critical-care hospital space and ventilators. He also said the state has a dedicated team of people assigned to plan for how the state should deal with the threat of a hurricane during a time of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a review of federal purchasing contracts shows federal agencies waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers, the Associated Press reported Sunday. By that time, hospitals in several states were treating thousands of infected patients without adequate equipment and were pleading for shipments from the Strategic National Stockpile.
As urgent calls to prioritize coronavirus patients at overwhelmed hospitals and the crisis churns an economic wave, another coronavirus casualty has emerged—health care jobs. Tens of thousands of medical workers across the United States are suddenly out of work as operating rooms and doctor’s offices go dark.
South Florida, which remains the epicenter of the pandemic in the state with more than 7,000 cases, has also been dealt the hand of dealing with virus-infested cruise ships waiting to dock. The most recent, the final voyage of the Coral Princess to PortMiami on Saturday, was a race against time to get urgent care for multiple passengers. Two people had already died while last-minute negotiations shifted the cruise ship from its first-choice destination, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
Shortly after grim new numbers emerged showing a record 227,000 Floridians filed for jobless benefits last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to divert state staff and beef up call centers and technology for the troubled unemployment compensation system, which has been flooded by tens of thousands of people.
The economic woes and widespread confusion over which activities are allowed comes as Central Florida logged nearly 1700 coronavirus cases and 24 deaths as of Sunday. The state health department updates cases twice a day, around 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Florida stay-at-home order: What you can and cannot do now
Central Florida now has 1,696 coronavirus cases. Most of them are in Orange County with 719 cases, followed by Osceola’s 229, Seminole’s 191, Polk’s 157, Volusia’s 151, Lake’s 101, Sumter’s 75 and Brevard’s 79. Nineteen of the region’s cases are in patients age 10 and younger, including eight who are age 1 or younger.
The latest reported deaths in Central Florida were announced Saturday, including one each from Orange, Seminole, Polk and Volusia counties. The Seminole death of a 91-year-old man was the county’s first from coronavirus. The case was not travel-related. (See details on all Central Florida cases here).
South Florida has 6,930 total cases among Miami-Dade (4,061), Broward (1,871) and Palm Beach (998) counties, making up about 57 percent of the state’s cases.
Two South Florida law enforcement officers died Saturday from coronavirus. Both men were in their 30s. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Diaz Ayala, 38, had other health issues. Broward Sheriff’s Deputy Shannon Bennett, who died a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19, was 39.
A drive-through site will open at UCF in Orange County on Monday, April 6, for members of the community by appointment only.
To help curb the spread, Seminole will start issuing fines to residents who tested positive for coronavirus who leave their homes. This order came after it was discovered at least five people who have a positive diagnosis had left their home to get groceries or run errands. See below for more.
In more efforts to quell the outbreak, the CDC recommended on Friday that people wear cloth masks when they go out in public. It’s a reversal from previous guidance that said the cloth masks weren’t necessary unless people had symptoms. Experts say people should leave the specialized N95 masks for the medical professions.
Click here for a timeline of how the coronavirus crisis grew in Central Florida.
You can find a running summary of the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Orlando area and Florida below. Also, sign up for new daily Florida coronavirus update by subscribing to The Health Report newsletter and as-they-happen Breaking News emails at OrlandoSentinel.com/newsletters.
Latest news
Orlando church worshippers meet on Palm Sunday despite coronavirus concerns
A west Orange County church held Palm Sunday services despite coronavirus concerns. The service held at The Center Arena near the Metro West area of Orlando reflects how Gov. DeSantis quietly signed a second order on Wednesday that forces local governments to follow the state’s shutdown order to the letter, contradicting the initial stay-at-home order put in place until April 30.
Florida emergency management chief: State will have enough ICU beds and ventilators
“I have full confidence that we’ll be able to meet the ICU capacity,” state Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz said in an interview on WPLG-Ch. 10. “We feel that we’ll be able to meet the capacity as far as the beds, or the potential bed issue, or the potential issue with ventilators.”
Asked about a projected peak need in early May of 2,500 beds and current capacity of less than 1,700, Moskowitz said the state bought, and has received 4,300 hospital beds. He said the beds the state bought, and the ability of hospitals to convert existing beds to intensive care beds, should be enough to meet the projected need.
He said field hospitals have been set up in Broward and Miami-Dade counties; field hospitals are pre-positioned for Jacksonville and the Orlando area; there is capacity for 400-bed hospital to be set up at the Miami Beach Convention Center; and work is being done to reopen two shuttered facilities in Miami-Dade County.
Moskowitz said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Health and Human Services “have been fantastic” about responding to Florida’s requests for ventilators from the strategic national supply, and the state has received four shipments.
Trump administration waited 2 months before bolstering medical supplies for coronavirus pandemic, review shows
As early as mid-January, U.S. officials could see that hospitals in China’s Hubei province were overwhelmed with infected patients, with many left dependent on ventilator machines to breathe. Italy soon followed, with hospitals scrambling for doctors, beds and equipment.
HHS did not respond to questions about why federal officials waited to order medical supplies until stocks were running critically low. But President Donald Trump has asserted that the federal government should take a back seat to states when it comes to dealing with the pandemic. Trump and his appointees have urged state and local governments, and hospitals, to buy their own masks and breathing machines, saying requests to the dwindling national stockpile should be a last resort.
Hospital worker stole personal protective equipment, cops say
A physician’s assistant at a hospital in Loxahatchee is accused of stealing numerous items that health care workers typically refer to as personal protective equipment. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Saturday said deputies were sent to Palms West Hospital after two hospital workers reported seeing Rhoderick Manhattan, 46, placing medical equipment into a vehicle.
It’s unclear when the alleged theft occurred. The sheriff’s office says deputies found multiple items inside the car, including over 50 boot covers, 25 protective overall suits, gloves, scrubs and head cover hoods. Palm Beach County has 998 reported cases of coronavirus, the third highest in the state, as of Sunday morning.
Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass without the public
Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass without the public because of the coronavirus pandemic, which he said should focus people’s attention on what’s most important, despite heavy hearts — using one’s life to serve others. Francis urged people to hold fast to “what really matters in our lives.” He led the first of several solemn Holy Week ceremonies that will shut out rank-and-file faithful from attending, as Italy’s rigid lockdown measures forbid public gatherings.
Queen urges self-discipline as Britain sees record jump in coronavirus deaths
As warm, sunny weather beckoned across Europe, Queen Elizabeth II appealed to Britons on Sunday to exercise self-discipline in “an increasingly challenging time” as the country saw a record 24-hour jump in coronavirus deaths that even outpaced the daily toll in hard-hit Italy.
Britain recorded 708 new coronavirus deaths, bringing its overall toll to 4,313 as infections rose past 42,000, while Italy reported 631 deaths. Those coming down with the virus in the U.K. include Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the health secretary, England’s chief medical official and Prince Charles, heir to the British throne.
Coronavirus is ravaging New York, and Florida could be next. Are we ready?
The images are both real and unimaginable. Bodies loaded into refrigerated morgue trucks. Makeshift hospitals thrown up like MASH units. Navy ships anchored offshore. New York, hit harder by the coronavirus than anywhere in America, is reeling from the pandemic, an example of what Florida could become in a few short weeks.
Perhaps Florida will never experience the devastation of New York, with its larger, more condensed population and a mass transit system that helped carry the virus through the city. New York is expected ultimately to suffer more than 800 deaths a day, more than 80% higher than Florida at its peak.
But government and medical leaders here say they are preparing for far worse conditions than we’ve seen so far. Like New York, they are creating bed space in hospitals, recruiting more medical staff, creating field hospitals and stockpiling ventilators — all earlier in the crisis than New York did, they say. On the ground, many people worry about a lack of testing, coordination among state and local officials and shortages of equipment to protect those on the front lines.
Testing site to open at UCF on Monday
A drive-through site will open at UCF on Monday, April 6, for members of the community by appointment only.
Individuals must have an appointment in order to receive a test, which will be administered in UCF’s Garage A, located at 12491 University Boulevard, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (appointments may end before 5 p.m. if the daily appointments are filled earlier). Those who do not have an appointment will be turned away.
To secure an appointment and have a test ordered for them, individuals must contact Aventus by calling 855-282-4860.
Orange and Osceola mortgage-foreclosure sales cancelled
Ninth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Donald Myers, who has provided updates about courthouse activities during the coronavirus crisis, has canceled all pending mortgage-foreclosure sales in Orange and Osceola counties, abiding by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ halt on all eviction and relevant sales last week. But the judge pointed out the orders should not be construed as relieving any debtor of the obligation to make rent or mortgage payments. “Those obligations are still owed,” he said.
Concern is great as demonstrated by the 30,000 people who applied for crisis assistance from Orange County for one month’s rent. The courthouses are open, though access is limited to “proceedings that are essential and critical to the state-of-emergency or the public health emergency.”
Former Saints kicker dies at 73 after coronavirus complications
Former NFL kicker Tom Dempsey, who played in the NFL despite being born without toes on his kicking foot and made a record 63-yard field goal, died late Saturday while struggling with complications from the new coronavirus, his daughter said. He was 73 years old.
The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate first reported Dempsey’s death. Ashley Dempsey said Sunday that her father, who has resided in an assisted living home for several years after being diagnosed with dementia, tested positive for the coronavirus a little more than a week ago.
Seminole County closes boat ramps
All Seminole County boat ramps closed Saturday night “due to irresponsible boaters.” the county government’s Twitter account announced in a post. In general, statewide, recreational boating is still allowed, but vessels must stay at least 50 feet apart. Also, no recreational vessel may have more than 10 people on board.
For more information, visit PrepareSeminole.org or call 407-665-0000 daily between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Disney World’s annual-pass payment changes: What you need to know
Annual passholders to Walt Disney World have new options after the company followed the lead of Universal Orlando in deferring payments.
That announcement was overshadowed by news of furloughs at the massive theme-park resort, the nation’s largest single-site employer. But the company’s website reassures passholders they won’t have to continue paying for passes they can’t use.
Walt Disney World closed on March 16 and will remain empty of guests until at least April 30.
Jaguars legend Tony Boselli on battle with COVID-19
In a column, Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi said Jacksonville Jaguars legend Tony Boselli said he never felt so overmatched during his battle with COVID-19 and he prayed to God he would not die alone.
“Boselli is one of the biggest, strongest, fiercest football players I have ever covered,” Bianchi wrote. “He was a 6-foot-7, 330-pound mountain of a man; a blocking bulldozer; a human wrecking machine who played offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars back in their heyday two decades ago.”
“I’ve never played in a football game where I felt so overmatched as I did against this thing,” Boselli told Bianchi Friday evening. Bianchi wrote that that Boselli’s voice was “still sounding weak after being released following five days in the ICU.”
Volusia, Brevard allow exercise on the beach
Volusia County shut down its beaches as of Friday, April 3, but reopened them to exercise-related activity on Saturday, April 4.
Brevard County cities on Thursday banded together to define acceptable activities on the beach. Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, and Melbourne Beach will be closed except for walking, jogging, biking, fishing, surfing and swimming until April 30.
Read more about beach closures in Florida here.
Electric utilities cutting bills temporarily
The state’s largest utilities such as Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light Co. and some municipal utilities such as Mount Dora’s are reducing power bills temporarily in response to the COVID-19 hit on the economy.
Participating utilities are able to do so by tapping cash put aside as a result of relatively lower costs for natural gas that runs electric generators.
Map: Florida’s hospitals are filling with coronavirus patients. Here are available beds by county
Sanford Orlando Kennel Club forced to close doors early
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the state to prohibit crowds and gatherings of any kind. That meant gamblers could no longer congregate at the track’s restaurant for cheeseburgers, fries or cheesesteaks. The word got out last Thursday. By Saturday, the track would have to close.
Sanford Orlando Kennel Club had planned to stay open until June. But now, in two short days, everything would be over.
Birthday parades ease pain of kids’ canceled parties
As coronavirus quarantines and social distancing disrupt daily life across the world, the cancellation of children’s birthday parties may seem insignificant in the bigger picture.
But for the kids, the prospect of lonely birthdays could be heartbreaking. So a creative compromise has sprouted up in at least a couple of cases in recent days in Florida: drive-by celebrations.
Dog saved from boat after owner hospitalized
Florida deputies and animal services officers suited up in protective gear to rescue a German Shepherd from the boat where her owner was forced to leave her as he was hospitalized with possible COVID-19.
The man, who had been living on the boat docked in the Manatee Pocket in Port Salerno, asked law enforcement to save his dog after he developed coronavirus symptoms and had to abandon both his pet and his floating home.
Some may not get stimulus checks until August or later
The federal government expects to begin making payments to millions of Americans under the new stimulus law in mid-April, but some people without direct deposit information may not get checks until mid-August or later, according to a memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The document from the House Ways and Means Committee says the IRS will make about 60 million payments to Americans through direct deposit in mid-April, likely the week of April 13. The IRS has direct deposit information for these individuals from their 2018 or 2019 tax returns.
Stay-at-home church exceptions do religion a disservice | Commentary
In a guest column, the executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida explains how the contrast between religious responsibility to consider safety and the constitutional right to freedom of religion and assembly clash in the case of Florida’s stay-at-home demand’s exceptions.
“While the Constitution’s First Amendment says that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, no constitutionally guaranteed right is absolute,” Coffin writes. “At times, rights collide with other rights — or with atypical on-the-ground realities. When that happens, religious rights are abrogated only when government can claim a compelling interest in doing so. The heightened risk of contracting and spreading a highly contagious and lethal virus during a pandemic seems compelling to large numbers in all faiths — including many, if not a strong majority, of congregations within Christianity.”
To help win the coronavirus war, think before you flush | Commentary
As COVID-19 began spreading, millions of Americans ran out and bought toilet paper. Too much toilet paper. All that hoarding left a lot of people with none. So, they’ve been using substitutes like napkins, Kleenex, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, sanitary products, the Orlando Sentinel, whatever. But when it comes to wiping, toilet paper is not just the gold standard. It’s the only standard.
Other products may claim to be “flushable,” but only toilet paper is designed to decompose in sewer systems. If the 4-inch pipes under your house get clogged, you have to call a plumber because it’s your problem. If the toilet paper substitutes make it to the street and enter the county’s 8-inch pipes, it’s everybody’s problem. Think before you flush.
Local governments pass around e-mail chain to decipher DeSantis’ stay-at-home order change
An email chain circulated among local governments Friday, after some spent Thursday trying to unravel Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stay-at-home order and how it might affect church services in the age of social distancing.
DeSantis on Wednesday ordered Floridians to stay home except for essential activities until April 30. But that rule also allowed cities and counties to impose or keep their own stricter requirements.
DeSantis’s original order superseded all local government shelter-in-place restrictions. But it allowed local governments to impose or keep their own stricter requirements if they wanted.
One major effect could be that the large religious gatherings banned in many counties by local shutdown orders — and which led to the arrest of a Tampa-area megachurch pastor — might be allowed again.
At the news conference, DeSantis said, “I don’t think government has the authority to close churches, and I’m certainly not going to do that.” Read more here.
Seminole County orders people with coronavirus to stay home and will fine those caught in public
Under the order, violators can be fined $500. Repeat offenders could be arrested and criminally charged.
County officials said they often call people who tested positive for the virus to find out how they are doing. But in some cases, the individuals didn’t answer their phones at first, and later said they were running errands.
Seminole County officials said Friday they caught at least five people who had tested positive for the coronavirus going out in public and ordered them home.
Frustration rises over Florida’s jobless benefits system
Frustration with Florida’s dysfunctional unemployment system is growing as thousands of people laid off due to the coronavirus response wrestle with busy signals and overwhelmed computer servers, and the complaints are not just coming from claimants who can’t get their money.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are pressuring Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to move more quickly to get out the checks and fix problems with CONNECT, the Department of Economic Opportunity’s online system for processing claims, even as DEO executive director Ken Lawson asks for patience.
DeSantis issued a pair of executive orders Thursday aimed at helping those affected by the economic crunch of the coronavirus.
The first order directs all state agencies to loan available workers to the Department of Economic Opportunity, the agency which handles the unemployment system. The second places a moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures for the next 45 days.
The unemployment system hasn’t been able to handle the massive influx of claims as employers laid off workers en masse when local and state leaders attempted to slow the spread of coronavirus by issuing orders that shuttered restaurants, theme parks, bars and other businesses in the tourism-reliant Sunshine State.
Don’t let your battery die: As people drive less, idle cars pose problems
As Floridians abide by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive “stay-at-home” order more cars are seeing less use. And with less vroom, comes more doom toward vehicle parts vulnerable to problems from non-usage.
Floridians are driving dramatically less than this same time last year, according to AAA, which noted that gasoline demand is down by as much as 50% by comparison to 2019 figures.
How to care for your mental health
If you’ve felt anxious, scared, overwhelmed, lonely, sad or moody at some point during the past few weeks, you’re far from alone. Mental health professionals say recognizing the emotional toll of the coronavirus pandemic and its unprecedented impact on our social connections, finances and daily lives is a critical step in dealing with the challenge.
Psychiatrists advise people to get regular, daily exercise. Connecting to nature, research shows, helps lower anxiety and can improve overall health. But even if you stay inside, at-home workouts help relieve stress.
Chain retailers respond to coronavirus by changing hours, adding safety measures
Businesses around the nation are adjusting to the challenges of the COVID-19 epidemic by putting safety measures into place.
These include changes to hours, cleaning policies and indoor occupancy rules, announced at retailers such as Target, Publix, Home Depot, Costco and Walmart.
Publix has a variety of customer shopping tips on their website, including checking out touch-free through electronic payment options and paperless receipts, and washing reusable shopping bags after every grocery run.
What to do if you can’t pay your bills
Here is what to do if you cannot pay your bills today due to the coronavirus pandemic. Do not panic. There are options for those who cannot pay their bills. Here are recommendations based on Orlando Sentinel interviews and research.
Tip of the day
The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in children and adults. However, children with confirmed COVID-19 have generally presented with mild symptoms. Reported symptoms in children include cold-like symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, and cough. For more information, visit CDC.gov.
Symptoms? Do this
Call your health-care provider if you have cough, fever and shortness of breath — and you’ve been in close contact with someone how has COVID-19 or has recently traveled to one of the following countries, where the virus transmission is widespread: China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
How to protect yourself
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with persons in poor health.
Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow these recommendations for using a face mask: The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Follow these guidelines for using a cloth mask.
Questions? Here are numbers to call
The Florida Department of Health has set up a call center to answer questions about coronavirus. There’s a number for Orange County, too.
The Florida Department of Health’s number is 1-866-779-6121 and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can also email questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
In Orange County, the number to call is 407-723-5004; it’s available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For mental-health help, here is a list of resources.
For accurate, up-to-date information, visit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
The Florida Department of Health: floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19. For questions, call the COVID-19 call center at 866-779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
A live map of COVID-19 cases around the globe: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
You want to be extra-prepared? Here’s how to stock up before a pandemic: ready.gov/pandemic
For the latest coronavirus updates, visit OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus and follow @orlandosentinel on Twitter.
See complete coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/coronavirus.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
