Updated 03/26/2020

TEST SITES BY COUNTY

BROWARD COUNTY

Open for individuals that meet certain criteria. Visit Broward County online for the list of criteria and to see if the site requires appointments. broward.org/Coronavirus/Pages/Collection-Sites.aspx.

CB SMITH PARK
Pre-registration required: 954-276-4680
900 N. Flamingo Road, Pembroke Pines, 9AM – 5PM daily
Broward.org/CoronaVirus/pages/CBsmithDriveThru.aspx

CLEVELAND CLINIC 
Krupa Center, 3250 Meridian Parkway, Weston, 7AM - 7PM
Call 954-659-5951 to make appointment. Only patients with appointments will be scheduled.
The Cleveland Clinic will be accepting patients with or without insurance.
My.clevelandclinic.org/landing/preparing-for-coronavirus

FESTIVAL FLEA MARKET/ BROWARD HEALTH
2900 Sample Road, Pompano Beach 
By Appointment Only, 954-320-5730

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

For latest updates on Miami Dade County sites visit:
Miamidade.gov/global/initiatives/coronavirus/home.page 

HARD ROCK STADIUM
Pre-registration required: 305-252-4820
347 Don Shula Dr, Miami Gardens, 9AM – 5PM daily
Free of charge

COMMUNITY HEALTH OF SOUTH FLORIDA, INC.
Pre-registration required: 305-252-4820
Doris Ison Health Center, 10300 SW 216 Street, Miami, 9AM – 12PM, Monday - Friday
The cost of the test is $60 to $100. CHI says it is covered by insurance.
CHI plans to add a second testing location at its Marathon Health Center by March 23.

HIALEAH
Larkin Community Hospital
cvtesting.larkinhospital.com
1475 West 49th Place, Hialeah, 9AM – 5PM, Monday – Friday

MARLINS PARK
Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, 9 AM Daily
Testing is by appointment only: (305) 499-8767
Miami-Dade residents only

The City of Miramar continues to monitor the situation and modify our response accordingly, while disseminating critical information as well as preventative measures to the public and City employees. For the latest updates regarding the coronavirus, please visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/#latest-stats or call 866-779-6121.

Updated 04/09/2020

CITY OF MIRAMAR

City of Miramar Issues Order for Individuals to Wear Face Coverings to Limit the Spread of the Coronavirus
- Effective 12:01 AM on Monday, April 13, 2020

Miramar, FL (Thursday, April 9, 2020) – Miramar City Manager, Vernon E. Hargray issued an amended and restated Order effective 12:01 a.m. on April 13, 2020 requiring individuals to wear a nose and mouth covering in public. This includes all employees and customers of grocery stores, hardware stores, pharmacies and restaurants. All individuals providing delivery services are also required to wear a form of covering over their noses and mouths while making deliveries.

Read the full Press Release here.
Read the full Emergency Order here. 

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• Community Services Department: Broward Meals on Wheels South Florida will deliver meals for Seniors that are not current clients within Miramar’s service area. For more information, please call 954-889-2719.
  
  
• Public Schools: School Resource Officers (SRO) are participating in assisting with the school board breakfast/lunch meal distribution for students and families at the following schools.
  

• Glades Middle School
• AC Perry K-8
• Miramar High School
• Coconut Palm Elementary School

• City Parks, Private Community Parks and Places of Worship/Churches: The Police Community Resource Officers (CRO) conduct daily checks on the city and community pools and parks for emergency order compliance. No concerns have been observed. CROs also work closely with community leaders to ensure compliance with all state and local executive orders.

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Updated 03/27/2020

COMMUNITY BUS SERVICE - Operating on Reduced Schedule 
Beginning Monday, March 30, 2020, the Community Bus Service will operate on a reduced schedule due to COVID-19 and the recommendation that many are following to ‘stay at home’. New operating hours:

Daily: 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM 
This new schedule will be in effect for 2 weeks or until conditions improve. This schedule is subject to change. 

PUBLIC COMMISSION MEETING - Scheduled April 1, 2020 at 7PM. Maximum of 10 people are allowed in Commission Chambers for Social Distancing. Virtual access is available via phone, website, television, email: Click here for information.

• EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (EM): in conjunction with Fire-Rescue is coordinating the response effort and working with County EM in ensuring that critical supplies needed for City operations are received. EM is also actively monitoring all State updates during this constantly changing event.
• FIRE-RESCUE is prepared and taking all recommended precautions in regards to personal protective equipment (PPE) ensuring the safety of those we serve and our first responders.
• BILL PAYMENT: Cashier/Water Billing: Closed, effective Monday, March 30, 2020. 
  The City will waive the processing fee for online and phone payments, until further notice.  Pay your water bill, permit fees, business tax and other services online at miramarfl.gov/billpayment , by phone 24/7 at 954-602-HELP (4357), by mail or drop box locations. Sign up for e-bill - miramarfl.gov/ebill. 

Drop box locations (include payment with invoice or payment coupon):

• City Hall, 2300 Civic Center Place - A white drop box at the front of the 2200 Building.
• Multi-Service Center, 6700 Miramar Parkway - A white drop box near the cash office drive thru window.
• Sunset Lakes, 2801 SW 186th Avenue - A white drop box on the left side directly across from the main building.
• CHILDCARE: Closed
• SENIOR SERVICES: Closed
• ADULT DAYCARE: Closed
• HAZARD WASTE & ELECTRONIC COLLECTION: Service cancelled through June 2020.
• CITY FACILITIES: Effective Monday, March, 23, 2020, until further notice.
  • City Hall: Closed to the public.
  • Multi-Service Complex: Modified schedule (10am to 4pm), please call 954-889-2719.
  • Community Development (Building/Planning Zoning): If you have business with the Community Development Department, please contact them by e-mail or phone:  
    • Building: buildingpermitclerks@miramarfl.gov or (954) 602-3200
    • Fire: sdsalgado@miramarfl.gov or (954) 602-4882
    • Planning & Zoning: pandz@miramarfl.gov or (954) 602-3264
    • Housing: emgriffth@miramarfl.gov or (954) 602-3247
    • Engineering: engineeringservices@miramarfl.gov or (954) 602-3304
  • Parks: All parks and facilities, community centers, courts, fields, restrooms and playgrounds closed.
  • Miramar Cultural Center: Box Office Modified Schedule (Noon to 3pm, Tuesdays to Fridays), please contact them by phone: 954-602-4500, prompt 1.
  • City Clerk: Closed to the public.
  • Procurement: Closed to the public.

Updated 04/07/2020

Federal Government

• According to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases, the novel coronavirus has infected 1,413,415 million people and killed more than 81,200 worldwide
  • The U.S. has reported more than 386,817 cases, with 12,285 deaths (New York: 5,489)
• U.S. officials have warned this will be the worst week yet.
• Wisconsin is holding its primary as scheduled today despite public health concerns.
• China, the country where the Covid-19 pandemic began, recorded no new deaths on Monday for the first time since late January.
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has indicated he is working with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on a plan to quickly approve an additional $250 billion for the Payment Protection Program (PPP). The Majority Leader indicated the Senate could act as soon as Thursday, either by unanimous consent or voice vote to avoid requiring Senators to return to Washington for a formal vote. House Democratic Leadership has previously voiced opposition to approving piecemeal extensions and funding to small business programs without providing additional funding for state and local governments and extensions of unemployment benefits. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) indicated in an interview with CNN this afternoon that she is open to approving the additional PPP funds as long as there is adequate funding for women and minority-owned businesses.
• Today, Senate Democrats unveiled their proposal, found here, to provide a “Hero Fund” for essential workers on the frontline of the coronavirus response. This fund would provide a $25,000 premium pay increase (equivalent to an additional $13 per hour in pay) for employees, including certain federal employees, engaged in “essential work” through the end of calendar year 2020, and a $15,000 recruitment incentive for health and home care workers, and first responders needed to fight the coronavirus public health crisis. The premium would be capped at $25,000 for each essential employee earning less than $200,000 per year and $5,000 for each essential employee earning more than $200,000 per year.
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Congressional leadership this morning requesting an increase of funding for the $349 billion Payment Protection Program (PPP), which provides guaranteed loans, and the $10 billion Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, to provide immediate $10,000 cash grants. Both of these programs were authorized by the CARES Act to provide small businesses with economic relief among the coronavirus epidemic; however, PPP began accepting applications this past Friday April 3, and has already exceeded 10% of available funds in loan commitments. A copy of the letter can be found here.

State of Florida

• Florida Department of Health daily report as of 6:00 PM today:
  • The Florida Department of Health has added a new “Cases by Zip Code” tab to the COVID-19 dashboard that let’s users enter their zip code and see the positive cases in their area. This is available for zip codes with greater than 5 positive cases present. Click on the following link to access the dashboard here. It is the 4th tab from the left.
  • Miramar: 119 confirmed cases (per FDOH daily report)
    • Cases in 33023: 77 (includes all or parts of: Miami Gardens, Miramar, Pembroke Park, West Park, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Ives Estates)
    • Cases in 33025: 73 (includes all or parts of: Miami Gardens, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Country Club)
    • Cases in 33027: 59 (includes all or parts of: Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Country Club)
    • Cases in 33029: 43 (includes all or parts of: Miramar, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines)
  • Broward County: 2,230 confirmed cases
  • Miami–Dade: 5,126 confirmed cases
  • State of Florida: 14,747 confirmed cases and 296 deaths
    • (64 deaths in Palm Beach, 54 deaths in Broward and 47 deaths in Miami-Dade)
• Attorneys for Governor DeSantis won the first round in a lawsuit to force a statewide closure of beaches. Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll approved a motion to dismiss after DeSantis' deputy general counsel Nicholas Primrose argued such an order would be an overreach of the court's authority.
• Governor DeSantis held a coronavirus response meeting Tuesday afternoon in Tallahassee with members of the medical community. He highlighted the work of a Broward County physician who’s been using hydroxychloroquine and other drugs. Governor DeSantis said Dr. Sunil Kumar and other medical specialists have had to “innovate on the spot” in response to the public health emergency. The governor said the state is expecting a shipment of 1 million doses of hydroxychloroquine, most known as a drug to treat malaria.
  • In addition, Teva Pharmaceuticals is sending a shipment of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, an antibiotic commonly known as a Z-Pak, to Florida from India.
  • The combination of those two drugs has been used to treat many COVID-19 patients across Florida.
• The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is now providing paper applications that can be mailed back to apply for the Reemployment Assistance Program. This is in response to the website issues and volume of applicants at this time. The DEO does note that paper applications could potentially take longer to process than the online application. The paper application version is available here in English, Spanish and Creole.

Broward County

• The COVID-19 Hotline, established in partnership between Broward County and the Florida Department of Health in Broward on March 21, will change its hours of operations to mirror the Call Center for the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, effective Tuesday, April 7.
  • The new hours will be 8AM - 6PM, seven days a week.
  • Both the County and the Department of Health in Broward call centers will be closed on Easter Sunday, April 12. 
  • Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Broward reduced its COVID-19 Call Center hours effective April 2.
  • The COVID-19 Hotline answers caller's questions and performs over-the-phone assessments for testing eligibility, before referring callers to the Department of Health for testing.
  • Since March 21, the Broward County COVID-19 Hotline has answered 9,180 calls and referred 1,433 callers to the Department of Health.
• A disaster management field triage site that was deployed at Executive Airport will be converted to a field hospital for lower COV+ (less critical COVID-19 patients) monitoring. An Incident Management Team (IMT) is onsite and the site will be operational by April 10th.
• A mobile field hospital will be built on the South Florida Fairgrounds to help Palm Beach County, one of Florida’s hardest-hit areas, battle the coronavirus pandemic. This hospital, if it’s ever needed, would open on the fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. A new South Palm Beach County drive-thru site opened Tuesday morning — 150 people with appointments were tested for the new coronavirus; 250 people are scheduled for tests on Wednesday, organizers said.

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Updated 04/03/2020

Federal

• The novel coronavirus has infected more than 1,030,000 people and killed more than 54,000 worldwide
• The U.S. has reported more than 270,000 cases, with more than 7,000 deaths
  • The US coronavirus death toll reached 7,077 on Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. The increase of 1,094 deaths today is the most number of deaths in a single day.
  • The previous record for the most new coronavirus deaths added in a single day as reported by CNN was 946 on Wednesday.
• U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has called for a federal stay-at-home order
• FOURTH STIMULUS BILL
  • In an interview on CNBC this morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) seemed to reverse her statements from earlier this week calling for the next stimulus bill to incorporate a large infrastructure component, specifically House Democrats’ Moving Forward 5-year, $760 billion infrastructure Framework. Instead, the Speaker suggested this morning that the next stimulus should focus on building upon and expanding provisions included in the CARES Act, including additional funding to the $350 billion Payment Protection Program, additional (and larger) direct payments to middle class taxpayers, and expanded unemployment benefit. In a statement issued following the interview, the Speaker also stressed the importance of more strongly supporting “state and local governments with significantly more resources.” While the Speaker’s infrastructure proposal appeared to gain initial support from the President, Republican leadership in both chambers questioned whether a fourth package was even needed at this time and seemed apprehensive at moving straight to an infrastructure package before addressing unresolved issues resulting from the CARES Act and /or providing additional funding for its programs.
• CARES ACT IMPLEMENTATION
  • As previously reported, today is the first day for small businesses and sole proprietorships to submit applications for the Department of the Treasury’s Payment Protection Program (PPP) authorized by the CARES Act. This program will provide small businesses with guaranteed loans to support up to 8 weeks of payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities, and the portion used on these expenses will be forgiven is “employee and compensation levels are maintained.” The Treasury released guidance for lenders and borrowers on Tuesday evening, and a slightly updated application for borrowers to submit to the Small Business Administration this afternoon. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals may begin submitting applications beginning on April 10th. 
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 full-year allocations for the Office of Community Planning and Development’s (CPD) formula programs as well as allocations for the supplemental HUD funding included in the CARES Act. A spreadsheet of all regular FY 2020 CPD formula allocations for the following programs can be found here: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); CDBG Recovery Housing Program (RHP); HOME Investment Partnerships; Housing Opportunities for Paersons with AIDS (HOPWA); and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG). Additionally, the CARES Act provided an additional $4 billion for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), $65 million for HOPWA, and $2 billion in funding for states and local governments that received an allocation under the CDBG formula. A spreadsheet detailing these CARES Act supplemental funding allocations can be found here. 
  • In last night’s White House Task Force Briefing, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin responded to a memo circulated by House Ways & Means Committee Democrats that indicated the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) told lawmakers it would take up to twenty weeks for the $1,200 direct payments to taxpayers to be distributed if done by paper check. Secretary Mnuchin pushed back on this claim and assured the public that the Treasury Department is committed to distributing the direct deposit payments in the next two weeks and that it would only be a matter of “weeks, not months” before paper checks were distributed. He added that they will be developing a web-portal for individuals to upload missing information for payments to be directly deposited into bank accounts. 

 
State of Florida

• Florida Department of Health daily report as of 7:00PM today:
  • Miramar: 91 confirmed cases
  • Broward County: 1,598 confirmed cases
  • Miami–Dade: 3,364 confirmed cases
  • State of Florida: 10,268 confirmed cases, 170 deaths (33 deaths in Palm Beach, 22 deaths in Broward and 25 deaths in Miami-Dade)
• Due to high usage of the DEO site, Florida residents are having a difficult time filing for unemployment, telephone call wait times may exceed 12 hours

Broward County

• County Administrator Bertha Henry released Emergency Order 20-05 on Friday afternoon, which clarifies essential services as listed by Governor Ron DeSantis' Executive Order 20-91, and clarifies recreational amenities: https://www.broward.org/CoronaVirus/Documents/EmergencyOrder20-05.pdf
  • Effective 12:01AM on Saturday, April 4th until the State of Local Emergency expires
    
  • Establishments that are identified as essential services under EO 20-91, as amended, shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that all persons on site maintain appropriate social distancing, as recommended by CDC guidance, particularly in checkout, pickup, or take-out areas, and also in employee breakrooms and common use areas.  Reasonable efforts may include, but are not limited to, marking floors at appropriate intervals or providing other visible systems to encourage persons to maintain proper social distancing.
    
  • All pools, pool decks, and party rooms, hot tubs, golf courses, tennis courts, basketball courts, fitness centers, gymnasiums, and community rooms (collectively, “Recreational Amenities”), whether of a commercial or noncommercial nature, are closed for all purposes except as follows: 
    
    • required for the conduct of an essential service, as defined by the Governor’s EO 20-91
      
    • located on a single family residential lot a single townhouse unit, or any part of a duplex lot, so long as the Recreational Amenity is utilized only by the inhabitants of that lot or unit
      
• 5-minute coronavirus test becomes available Monday, April 6th in South Florida (manufactured by Abbott)
  • South Florida hospitals and long-term-care facilities are beginning to receive highly touted tests that have been called one of the most effective tools in combating the coronavirus outbreak.
  • The tests can deliver results in 5 to 13 minutes, a much-needed step after delays in results have sidelined health care workers and made it more challenging to isolate contagious patients.
  • Governor DeSantis told Florida’s long-term-care facility operators that Florida hospitals have ordered tests directly from Abbott. However, he has asked that some of the rapid tests being distributed by Abbott to hospitals also go to nursing homes and ALFs.

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Broward County Updates as of April 03/2020.

County Administrator Releases New Emergency Order 20-05 on Friday

County Administrator Bertha Henry released Emergency Order 20-05 on Friday afternoon, which clarifies essential services as listed by Governor Ron DeSantis' Executive Order 20-91, and clarifies recreational amenities. Read News Release.

Helping to Feed Local Families
A newly formed task force of Broward County service organizations has banded together to organize and communicate local feeding initiatives, as residents handle the challenges of COVID-19 and a Safer at Home policy of social distancing. Members of the task force include Broward County Human Services Department, The Children's Services Council and Broward Schools Office of Family and Community Engagement. The task force is helping to support and sustain our community during these extraordinary times, collaborating to ensure residents have access to critical resources, especially nutritious meals. The website, together4broward.org, includes a map of food distribution locations across Broward County.

Stress Reduction in Times of Crisis
Chronic stress can weaken the immune system and contribute to depression. Here are some quick tips from The Cleveland Clinic to help you stay healthy:

Know the facts, but don't stay glued to the news. This is no time ignore the facts but remember that overconsuming news tends to ramp up anxiety. Give yourself a set time of day to get updates.

Stick with a routine. Routines make us feel safe, take our minds off our worries, and help us stick with good habits. If you're working from home, come up with a schedule that includes work, breaks and leisure time.

Be a helper. Connect with neighbors or community organizations and find ways to help people in need, from donating money or food to providing daily phone check-ins.

Practice stress relief. Keep up your yoga or meditation practice if you have one, and if you don't, now is a great time to start. Find a beginners' yoga class or meditation instruction online from our Libraries Division.

COVID-19 Call Center Operations
The Broward County Call Center is assisting the Florida Department of Health in Broward County in answering public questions about COVID-19, including conducting over-the-phone pre-screenings to determine eligibility for testing. The COVID-19 Call Center number is 954-357-9500. The call center will accept calls from 8AM to 8PM, 7 days a week. Since the Hotline was activated, call takers have handled almost 9,000 calls from the public.

Think You May Have Been Exposed?
There are several things you can do if you suspect you may have been exposed to the COVID-19. If you have symptoms such as a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, call the COVID-19 Hotline at 954-357-9500 to be pre-screened for potential testing. Some health insurers are waiving costs for COVID-19 tests if your health care provider recommends you receive one. If you are over 65, have underlying health conditions and are presenting with symptoms, and have an appointment you can get tested at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines or at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston. 

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Federal

• President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to clear up supply-chain issues encountered in the manufacturing of ventilators.
  • The order comes amid increased fears of ventilator shortages around the country. The use of these lifesaving medical devices has skyrocketed among critical coronavirus patients.
• At yesterday's White House Task Force Briefing, President Trump advise that new face-mask guidance will be issued to all Americans—encouraging them to wear masks; but not required.
• FOURTH STIMULUS BILL
  • As outlined in previous updates, House Democrats are planning to move forward with drafting a fourth stimulus bill. This week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) confirmed that the forthcoming package would include a large infrastructure component and that it would use the House Democrats’ “Moving Forward” infrastructure framework as the basis for the proposal. First unveiled in January, the framework provided an outline of key priorities in the 5-year, $760 billion proposal.
  • In a press conference call on Wednesday, Speaker Pelosi was joined by Chairs from several House Committees to discuss their respective Committee’s infrastructure priorities in the forthcoming bill, which include the Framework’s following topline spending proposals:
    • $329 billion for highways, bridges, and to increase the availability of electric-vehicle charging stations and alternative fueling options
    • $105 billion for transit, including investments in zero-emission buses and reforms to the Capital Investment Grant Program
    • $86 billion for the expansion of broadband
    • $55 billion for rail investments
    • $50.5 billion for clean water & wastewater infrastructure, of which $40 billion would be for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
    • $30 billion to support airports and airspace modernization
      • Speaker Pelosi added that $10 billion for community health centers would be included as part of the coronavirus infrastructure package, and that additional education and housing components would be unveiled in the coming days.
      • House Democrats also plan to incorporate many of the components in their previously unveiled stimulus bill that were not included in the final enacted CARES Act, including prioritizing increasing SNAP benefits, additional funding for state and local governments, health care worker and pension protections, funding to implement vote-by-mail systems, and additional (and larger) direct payments to individuals.
• CARES ACT IMPLEMENTATION
  • In a White House briefing call with State, Local, and Tribal leaders on Wednesday, Larry Kudlow, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council, provided a few additional details on the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund state, local, and tribal government assistance authorized by the CARES Act. As previously reported, these funds will be distributed based on population from the most recent Census estimate, with an award floor of $1.25 billion for states.
    • Local governments with a population of 500,000 or more may apply for direct funding equal to 45% of its pro rata share of the state’s allocation.

The Treasury Department is currently anticipating distributing these funds no later than April 24, however further guidance on eligible jurisdictions and expenditures should be released in the coming weeks prior to these funds being allocated. In the meantime, Treasury has established a webpage (https://home.treasury.gov/cares) with up-to-date guidance on CARES Act implementation.

• On April 2, 2020, Speaker Pelosi announced that she will be forming a bipartisan House select committee to oversee coronavirus relief efforts and the Administration’s distribution of over $2 trillion in relief funds. The Speaker said the Committee would be “empowered to examine all aspects of the federal response to the coronavirus”, and would be separate from other oversight mechanisms authorized by the coronavirus relief stimulus bills, such as the five-member congressional “Oversight Commission,” created as part of a bipartisan compromise for passage of the CARES Act to oversee the Department of the Treasury’s $500 billion Exchange Stabilization fund. The Treasury Department is also required to appoint a “special inspector general” to oversee the fund. Officially establishing the Committee would require a House vote, which will likely be difficult as members are in their districts for the next few weeks and passage before then by unanimous consent seems unlikely.
• The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on April 1, 2020, that Social Security beneficiaries not typically required to file tax returns, or who did not file returns in 2018 or 2019, will still receive the $1,200 Economic Impact Payments. The announcement is a reversal of previously issued guidance by the IRS that would have resulted in the aforementioned beneficiaries being forced to file an abbreviated tax return, creating what members from both parties described as an unnecessary hurdle. Instead, Social Security beneficiaries will now receive direct payments in the same manner they normally receive benefits, directly to their bank accounts or by paper check.

State of Florida

• Florida Department of Health daily report as of 8:00PM, April 2, 2020:
  • Miramar: 79 confirmed cases
  • Broward County: 1,481 confirmed cases
  • Miami–Dade: 2,886 confirmed cases
  • State of Florida: 9,008 confirmed cases, 144 deaths (27 deaths in Palm Beach, 17 deaths in Broward and 20 deaths in Miami-Dade)
• On April 2, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-92, which provides for an update to Section 4 of Executive Order 20-91
  • The Order includes an amendment to Section 4, which reads:
    • “This Order shall supersede any conflicting official action or order issued by local officials in response to COVID-19.”
• Governor DeSantis also issued a pair of executive orders aimed at helping those affected by the economic crunch of the coronavirus.
  • Executive Order 20-93, directing the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and other executive agencies to take necessary actions to improve DEO’s Reemployment Assistance Program.
    • This Order directs all state agencies to loan available workers to the Department of Economic Opportunity, the agency which handles the unemployment system.

1. 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 COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, by issuing orders that shuttered restaurants, theme parks, bars and other businesses in the tourism-reliant Sunshine State.

• Executive Order 20-94, providing targeted, temporary relief from certain mortgage foreclosures and evictions for 45 days, without relieving an individual’s obligation to make mortgage payments and rent payments.
• Within the last three (3) weeks, Florida’s unemployment claims skyrocketed from only 6,256 to 222,054. There are more than 6.6 million claims nationwide.
• New federal coronavirus relief measures enable most homeowners with federally backed mortgage loans to put off making their mortgage payments for a full year. Borrowers will have the option to tack those missed payments to the end of their loan terms. Click here to read more about this bill: Congress House Bill 748.
• With little traffic on state roads, Governor DeSantis said about $2.1 billion in road projects will be sped up by weeks and months to help lessen economic damage from the pandemic. This includes widening of Southern Boulevard in western Palm Beach County and work on the Interstate 395-Interstate 95 section in Miami-Dade.
• The Agency for Health Care Administration launched a new statewide hospital bed capacity dashboard and emailed the information to all the Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes. This dashboard provides the most relevant information to those caring for the State’s most vulnerable populations.
  • https://www.floridahealthfinder.gov/index.html
  • Broward County currently has 41.97% total hospital bed availability, 35.02% Adult ICU availability and 45.78% Pediatric ICU availability. 

Broward County:

• Authorities granted permission to Holland America’s Zaandam and Rotterdam to dock at Port Everglades late Thursday afternoon, after having been at sea for nearly a month.
• Holland America Line’s parent company, Carnival Corporation, submitted a revised plan that first had to meet the stringent requirements of Broward’s Unified Command, which consists of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Health Department in Broward County, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Broward Sheriff’s Office Departments of Law Enforcement and Fire Rescue, Port Everglades Pilots Association, Broward County’s Port Everglades Department and Broward County Administration. 

• Highlights of the final, approved plan include:
  • Nearly all of the guests on board are deemed well and fit for travel per guidelines from CDC and will transfer from the ship, wearing masks, in sanitized, chartered coaches with limited person-to-person contact.
  • On Friday and Saturday, they will be taken in groups directly to the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, to board charter flights home. They have been self-isolated on board the ship since March 22 and will be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
  • Approximately two dozen guests on board have mild illness and the plans calls for these guests to continue to isolate on board until they are recovered. Disembarkation for these individuals will not occur until they meet CDC guidelines for being fit to travel.
  • Approximately 15 individuals need immediate critical care shoreside, and a local health system partner here in Broward has agreed to accept them for treatment, with a transfer procedure that protects the patient, the health care workers and the community.
  • Among the passengers are 311 American citizens, including Floridians. Passengers who are residents of Florida will be provided private transportation to their homes.
• Even with a predicted surge of coronavirus patients looming, South Florida hospitals are reducing staff hours, forcing paid time off or reducing pay. It’s a result of the suspension of elective surgeries, tele-doctors treating patients by phone, and people fearing emergency room visits.
• Two Broward County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. One of the infected inmates was tested at a hospital on Tuesday, after refusing a different medical test at the jail in Pompano Beach. “After being notified of the inmate’s status, the housing units where he has been were placed in quarantine as a precaution,” a news release said.
• A resident from Five Star Premier Residences of Hollywood has died after testing positive for COVID-19.
• BCPS Legislative/Governmental Affairs Update
  • Broward County Public Schools successfully carried out distance learning this week, with approximately 15,000 teachers and 220,000 students from District managed schools participating in remote online learning. This was supported by the distribution of 82,000 laptop computers to students who needed them and several days of engagement with Canvas the learning management system. The District is now positioned to close its school campuses effective Monday, April 6th, except for food distribution sites.

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BROWARD COUNTY

Closing of All Non-Essential Businesses:
On Sunday, March 22nd, Broward County issued Emergency Order 20-01 which ordered the closing of all non-essential retail and commercial business locations. Essential businesses include healthcare providers and public health operations, grocery stores, media services, gas stations, banks, hardware, pawn shops, contractors, tradesmen, landscape and pool services, delivery services, online educational institutions, laundromats, and restaurant pick-up/drive-through, transportation services, assisted living and childcare facilities, logistic providers, telecommunications providers, marinas, waste management services, hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments, veterinarians and pet boarding facilities, firearm and ammunition supply stores, moving and storage, businesses that supply office products, ship or deliver goods, engaged in home based care of others, or provide professional services, and any business that employs five (5) or fewer persons where employees do not come in regular contact with the general public during the regular course of business.

For more details on Executive Order 20-01 and to view the list of essential businesses, please visit Broward.org/Coronavirus/Pages/EssentialBusinesses .

Broward County Public Schools:
Parents are encouraged to visit Browardschools.com/coronavirus which is updated daily or visit Browardschools.com/learningnevercloses for additional resources. For information on food and nutrition services provided, visit BCPS Food and Nutrition Services.

Broward County Parks:
All parks operated by Broward County are closed to public access beginning at 12:01AM on Tuesday, March 24, until further notice. This includes regional, neighborhood and specialty parks; nature centers; and natural areas. C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines will remain open as a COVID-19 drive-through testing collection site until further notice. Parks employees will continue to report to work.

Broward County Transit (BCT):
Broward County asks that members of the public limit their use of bus and para-transit services to essential travel only, and that riders comply with the CDC recommendations for social distancing. BCT will also implement the following social distancing measures, until further notice:

• Beginning Tuesday, March 24, customers will enter and exit the bus only via the rear doors, except for customers who require use of the wheelchair ramp, which will remain available at the front door.

• Also beginning March 24, bus fare collections will be temporarily suspended on all bus service, including TOPS para-transit.

• Beginning Saturday, March 28, BCT will operate a Saturday schedule daily, Monday through Saturday; Limited Stop (or “Breeze”) service will be eliminated, and Express buses will operate on 30-minute schedules. Sunday schedules will continue as they currently are.

Broward County Libraries:
As a reminder, Broward County Libraries were closed to in-person public access at the close of business on March 19, until further notice. Libraries staff will continue to report to work.

Meetings and Gatherings:
No gathering greater than 10 people.

Visit Broward.org/Coronavirus for the latest county updates.

Updated 04/06/2020

CITY OF MIRAMAR​                                                                                                                                                     

• CHILDCARE: Closed
• MULTI-SERVICE COMPLEX: Modified schedule (10am to 4pm), please call 954-889-2719.
• PARKS: All parks and facilities, community centers, courts, fields, restrooms and playgrounds closed.

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BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (BCPS)                                                                                 

Visit BCPS website for the latest information at www.browardschools.com/coronavirus

• BCPS Calendar for Remainder of 2019/20 School Year as of April 3, 2020
  Attached, or by clicking HERE, you will be able to see the updated 2019/20 School Calendar as it relates to distance learning for the remainder of the school year. Please share with all your stakeholders.
• UPDATE on Beginning of Fourth Quarter Student Courses in Canvas
  As the District transitions to the Fourth Quarter marking period, courses in Canvas may become temporarily unavailable as some quarter courses are updated.  Most students are in Semester courses and will not see any changes. Course updates will take place this weekend and will be finalized by Monday, April 6.  At that point, students may continue to find their Canvas courses in the “Current Courses” section. Students who need access to previous Quarter 3 courses can find those courses listed in the “Previous Courses” section of Canvas, which is below “Current Courses.”  
  
  Please refer to the updated Academics calendar available at https://bit.ly/3aFfJxE.

Broward County Public Schools Adds Four New Food Distribution Sites
As part of Broward County Public Schools continued effort to ensure families are receiving the nutritional support they need through the coronavirus pandemic, the District has added four additional sites to its food distribution program beginning Monday, April 6. 

The four locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. twice a week – Mondays and Wednesdays. At these locations, families will be able to pick up meals for multiple days.  
 
The four new school sites are: 

• Castle Hill Elementary, 2640 N.W. 46 Ave., Lauderhill 33313
• Palmview Elementary, 2601 N.E. 1 Ave., Pompano Beach 33064
• Margate Middle, 500 N.W. 65 Ave., Margate 33063
• Parkway Middle, 3600 N.W. 5 Court, Fort Lauderdale 33311

For a list of ALL 51 food distribution locations please see the attached information or simply click HERE.

For updates and information 24 hours a day, please visit the District’s website at: www.browardschools.com/coronavirus.

• Broward County Public School (BCPS) Legislative/Governmental Affairs Update
  • BCPS Mental Health Website: The School District has updated its Mental Health website with many useful resources for employees, students, and families including resources related to coping with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Students and famiies may also contact the BCPS Mental Health Hotline at 954-321-HELP (4357).
  • April Fool’s Joke Going Around - FYI: It has been reported that there is an April Fool’s Joke spreading around via social media stating that the Broward County Public Schools made a statement that all students will have to repeat their present school grade next year. THIS IS NOT TRUE. The State of Florida has cancelled the use of all Standardize State Assessments for this school year (2019-2020) and BCPS has already announced that only parents/guardians who choose to, may request for their student(s) to be placed again in the same grade level as this year. Again, ONLY students whose parents/guardians make that request will be considered.

• BCPS Campuses Will Remain Closed Through Friday, May 1, 2020
  • While BCPS campuses will remain closed, learning continues via online distance learning. Watch the Superintendent’s statement to the community, during the Tuesday, March 31st, Emergency School Board Meeting. https://eduvision.tv/l?RyRLmO.
  • Five Steps to Getting Started with Broward County Public Schools Distance Learning
    • IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – As our entire community navigates through the unprecedented situation created by the coronavirus, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) remains committed to supporting the educational needs of our students and families. Please see the attached “Five EASY Steps” to get students started with Distance Learning. This information is also available in Spanish, Haitian–Creole, and Portuguese.   #LearningNeverCloses

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES MARCH 30-APRIL 15

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) will continue to support students and their families through the coronavirus crisis by offering its grab-and-go meal service to 23 elementary schools, nine middle schools and 15 high schools throughout Broward County.

View the information for Food and Nutrition Services for Students and Families March 30-15
Spanish | Haitian Creole | Portuguese

CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL OF BROWARD COUNTY (CSC) UPDATES

Visit CSC website for the latest information at www.cscbroward.org/coronavirus-covid-19/.
3/11/20 - All CSC in-house trainings are cancelled, at least through March 31, 2020.

Updated 04/06/2020

CITY OF MIRAMAR

• MEALS ON WHEELS SOUTH FLORIDA: Meals on Wheels South Florida is providing meals, that will be delivered, to Seniors who are currently enrolled in the program. For more information, please call Community Services at 954-889-2719.
  
• SENIOR SERVICES: Closed
• ADULT DAYCARE: Closed
• MULTI-SERVICE COMPLEX: Modified schedule (10am to 4pm), please call 954-889-2719.

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WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE SICK:
Please call Florida Department of Health in Broward County at 954-412-7300 and your healthcare provider before traveling to any healthcare facility.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Florida Department of Health's dedicated has established a coronavirus hotline. The call center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 866-779-6121. Information is also available via email at COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

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• For information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tips for Dementia Caregivers visit the Alzheimer's Association website at: https://alz.org/help-support/caregiving/coronavirus-(covid-19)-tips-for-dementia-care.
• For information on caring for older adults during the Coronavirus crisis, please watch a YouTube tutorial provided by the CDC: What Older Adults Need to Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjcoN9Aek24.

Updated 04/07/2020

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• Any small business concern that meets SBA’s size standards (either the industry based sized standard or the alternative size standard)
• Any business, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, 501(c)(19) veterans organization, or Tribal business concern (sec. 31(b)(2)(C) of the Small Business Act) with the greater of:
• 500 employees, or
• That meets the SBA industry size standard if more than 500
• Any business with a NAICS Code that begins with 72 (Accommodations and Food Services) that has more than one physical location and employs less than 500 per location
• Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed persons

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CARES ACT

Small businesses and sole proprietorships can now submit applications for the Department of the Treasury’s Payment Protection Program (PPP) authorized by the CARES Act. This program will provide small businesses with guaranteed loans to support up to 8 weeks of payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities, and the portion used on these expenses will be forgiven is “employee and compensation levels are maintained.” The Treasury released guidance for lenders (found here) and borrowers (found here) on March 31, 2020, and a slightly updated application for borrowers to submit to the Small Business Administration (found here) is now available. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals may begin submitting applications beginning on April 10th. REEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR EMPLOYEES

If your employees have been impacted by the spread of COVID-19, the state of Florida offers Reemployment Assistance through CONNECT, Florida’s online Reemployment Assistance System at floridajobs.org.

STATE OF FLORIDA BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

• Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program - $50,000 max per business. Application available March 17, 2020 through May 8, 2020: floridadisasterloan.org.
• Business Damage Assessment Survey floridadisaster.biz/BusinessDamageAssessments

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) ASSISTANCE
To apply for federal disaster assistance, visit the SBA Disaster website sba.gov/disaster. Contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:  

• SBDC Florida Small Business Preparedness, Recovery, Resources for Coronavirus
• EDO Disaster Plan Templates and Customization Guide. If you need assistance with this document, jblackman@fedconline.org.
• SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL program) 
• The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has continued business-related updates: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html

BROWARD EXECUTIVE ORDER

• Broward County issued Emergency Order 20-01 closing all non-essential retail and commercial business locations in incorporated and unincorporated Broward County. The closure is to take effect on 12:01AM on Monday, March 23.

Closing of All Non-Essential Businesses:
On Sunday, March 22nd, Broward County issued Emergency Order 20-01 which ordered the closing of all non-essential retail and commercial business locations. Essential businesses include healthcare providers and public health operations, grocery stores, media services, gas stations, banks, hardware, pawn shops, contractors, tradesmen, landscape and pool services, delivery services, online educational institutions, laundromats, and restaurant pick-up/drive-through, transportation services, assisted living and childcare facilities, logistic providers, telecommunications providers, marinas, waste management services, hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments, veterinarians and pet boarding facilities, firearm and ammunition supply stores, moving and storage, businesses that supply office products, ship or deliver goods, engaged in home based care of others, or provide professional services, and any business that employs five (5) or fewer persons where employees do not come in regular contact with the general public during the regular course of business.

For more details on Executive Order 20-01 and to view the list of essential businesses, please visit Broward.org/Coronavirus/Pages/EssentialBusinesses.