Miami Is Becoming The ‘Epicenter Of The Pandemic,’ Expert Warns

Enlarge this image

A construction worker rides a scooter past a mural by Hiero Veiga of billionaire businessman Moishe Mana, left, and City of Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez wearing masks on Monday in Miami.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Wilfredo Lee/AP

Coronavirus Live Updates
Florida Smashes U.S. State Record Of Daily New Cases: More Than 15,200

A factor in the surge of positive coronavirus testing is that Florida has greatly increased its testing. On Sunday, Florida’s record-setting day, the state recorded nearly 143,000 tests, triple the number conducted a week earlier. On Tuesday, Florida got the results of 67,160 tests with a positivity rate over 18 percent.

As cases have spiked in Florida, hospitals are seeing more patients with COVID-19. Carlos Migoya, the CEO of Jackson Health says his hospital has cut back on patients admitted for elective procedures as the number of COVID-19 cases has increased. He says his hospital, Miami’s largest, still has extra capacity and the ability to add more intensive care beds if needed. «We have the beds,» Migoya says. «We need the staff.» Florida has sent 100 medical personnel to help at Jackson Memorial. DeSantis says the state is also sending nurses and other personnel to hospitals in the Tampa area and has plans to bring in an additional 2000 nurses from out of state. On MSNBC Tuesday, Migoya said it might be three weeks until cases peak in Miami-Dade County. «And that is a very tough three weeks,» he said. Asked about the prospect of schools reopening next month he said Miami’s high infection rate made that unlikely. He said, «Positivity rates of 25 to 28% percent are not indicative of us being able to open the schools here in Miami-Dade County.»

• Gov. Ron DeSantis
• coronavirus
• Florida