MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami-Dade County is reporting their Intensive Care Unit capacity has been exceeded for the seventh consecutive day, as the coronavirus continues its spread throughout the state.
The Florida Department of Health reported over 10,000 new cases on Monday, and Dr. Nicholas Namias of UHealth Trauma and Critical Care said he does not see things slowing down.
“I’m not seeing any stall,” he said. “Every day we look, and we see 10,000; 12,000; 14,000.”
Miami-Dade County is reporting a 28% positivity rate as of Monday. As many as 2,797 new cases were reported in the county, 1,695 were reported in Broward County and 35 new cases were reported in Monroe County.
“That’s a very serious load of virus out in the community,” Namias said. “We’re always on the cusp, where there’s a patient who needs a bed, and we’re making a bed. Then, you move things around, and you make the one bed and you realize, ‘OK, we need 20 more. Where are we going to do it?’ So they’ve been working on that, just trying to keep pace with the disease.”
According to Miami-Dade County, less than 30% of non-ICU beds are available.
Monday morning, protesters would criticize Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic during his visit to Orlando to promote convalescent plasma donations.
“Almost 20% of the ICU beds are available,” DeSantis said. “One of the best things you can do if you’re somebody that has recovered from COVID-19 is to donate blood. Your plasma will be able to be used to help other patients.”
However, the numbers tell a very different story, especially in parts of South Florida.
As cars continued to line up at testing sites, such as the one in the parking lot of Hard Rock Stadium, state officials are working to cut wait times for those showing COVID-19 symptoms.
Under the state’s newly-launched program, some lanes are dedicated for patients to self-swab. The program has had encouraging signs, officials said.
Meanwhile, in Miami Lakes, SOMOS, a New York-based network of immigrant doctors, has opened a free community COVID-19 testing site. The organization serves low-income Black, Latino and immigrant communities hit hardest by the virus.
City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said another stay-at-home order may be issued in the coming days.
“We may do it over the next couple of days,” Suarez said. “There’s some people in the business council meeting that do think now is the best time because we are in the summer. School has not begun yet, and obviously for Miami, which is a very tourist-based economy, the sort of high season is later in the year.”
Miami Beach officials announced Monday afternoon this will be the last week of their city-run summer camps.
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