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MIAMI (WSVN) - Despite health officials pleas to stay at home and practice social distancing, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across South Florida is still on the rise.
Saturday afternoon, the Florida Department of Health reported more than 10,200 new cases of the coronavirus.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who herself tested positive for COVID-19, did not mince words while speaking during a virtual media conference on Friday.
“We are up against the wall here,” she said.
As of Saturday, 761 people in Miami-Dade County were hospitalized from COVID-19, while Broward had 441 patients and Monroe County reported four patients.
In addition, intensive care unit beds in two of the area’s biggest hospitals are once again becoming scarce.
The state reported zero available ICU beds at Broward Health hospitals.
At Jackson Health locations, their ICU bed availability was below 10%. As of late Saturday night, Jackson Memorial Hospital had 18 ICU beds available.
“We must, must have full cooperation with all the precautions that we know work,” said Levine Cava. “We are not universally masking in our community today. We are not universally adhering to the curfew.”
Of the coronavirus cases in Florida, Miami-Dade had 2,221, Broward had 1,099, and Monroe County had 30.
As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc, local mayors are calling on Congress to extend funding for local food donations for those hit hardest by the virus.
“I couldn’t think of something more important than making sure all of our families have enough food, all of our children have enough food,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
For more information about an upcoming Food and Drug Administration hearing, scheduled for Thursday, regarding emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, click here.
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