Coronavirus cases in Florida reached 21,019 on Monday after 418 new positives and 29 additional deaths were reported in the state, the Florida Department of Health reported.

Miami-Dade has 7,459 cases and Broward 3,177. The two counties have the highest number of infected people in the state, where 499 people have already died from COVID-19.

Additionally, Palm Beach County has 1,704 positive cases and Monroe 64. A total of 2,841 people have been hospitalized in the state during this outbreak, which is not to say that they are all hospitalized at this time.

The city of Miami had 4,487 cases, followed by Hollywood with 947, Hialeah with 918, Fort Lauderdale with 715, Miami Beach with 561 and West Palm Beach with 307.

In an appearance Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis spoke on several important topics. He stressed that new measures will be implemented, since several dozen cases of elderly people have been presented in care centers. Measures such as taking the temperature of people who visit these centers. He said that people who have been exposed to the virus in recent days are strictly prohibited from visiting a nursing home since the beginning of the crisis.

He said the state agency that runs the senior centers has made several dozen visits to make sure seniors are protected, and that these measures have been endorsed by the CDC.

Regarding the virus tests, he said that when you see the numbers for Florida compared to Texas and California, he considers that it is not a very high figure. He said that most of the tests have been done by private laboratories.

He also said that they continue to pay attention to maintaining the number of beds available in hospitals in Florida, and in South Florida where the majority of contagion cases are centered.

Last week, the governor had said that authorities are doing their best "to expand access to results in the shortest time possible. We have worked with hospitals so that all Florida centers have access to the necessary equipment." 

DeSantis said that state hospitals have a 43% capacity to care for possible patients. He announced that in the state, 1 out of every 140 Floridians are tested for the coronavirus, with the aim of preventing the virus from spreading.

DeSantis said Florida will receive 2 million masks and 300,000 face shields, 350,000 gloves, among other supplies, for health workers. Similarly, work is being done on increasing the number of beds for care and the number of respirators.

Regarding the educational system, he said that Vice President Mike Pence recognizes Florida as the leader in distance education, which has been operating efficiently, with a virtual management system that has increased its capacity for 2.7 million students and that more of 2 million parents and 700 thousand teachers have the educational guides.

Regarding preventive measures against the new virus, some cities in Florida are joining the trend of making it mandatory for people who work in essential businesses (the only open ones) or are dedicated to the delivery of food and other products to homes. covered mouth and nose.

The measure has already been adopted by the counties with the most cases in the state: Miami-Dade and Broward.

On the other hand, it was also known that the US Army Corps of Engineers will transform the recently renovated facilities of the Miami Beach Convention Center into a hospital, with a delivery deadline of April 27, although they believe they will have it ready a week before.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said 184 National Guard medical employees will work at the hospital, which would open with 450 beds, of which 50 will be destined for intensive care.

"This will provide a lot of resources should the need arise to be able to care for patients," DeSantis said at a news conference at the center on Wednesday.

DeSantis said the facility will be able to scale up to 1,000 beds and, unlike other field hospitals across the country, will be targeted at COVID-19 patients.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez said the decision to install 450 preliminary beds in the center was made to prepare the city for a worst-case scenario. "We hope we don't need to use it, but if the worst happens, we are prepared," said Giménez, who also thanked Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber for giving up that space.

DeSantis, who issued a stay-at-home order for the entire state since April 2, congratulated Floridians on complying with these directions.

DeSantis announced that rapid COVID-19 tests will begin to be used and asymptomatic people who have had contact with patients will be able to access the tests for the first time.

What there is no doubt about is the great negative impact that the new virus has on the employment and income of people with fewer resources.

This Saturday two free food distributions organized by the Feeding South Florida charity brought together hundreds of people in Miami and Miramar, who made long lines from five hours before the scheduled start, according to images from local media.

Initiatives like these have sprung up across the state since nonessential businesses were shut down in the state and thousands of people lost their jobs.

According to the Department of Labor, in February 2020 Florida had an unemployment level of 2.8%, one of the lowest in the country, which together had a rate of 3.5%, the lowest in half a century.

The situation has radically changed with COVID-19.

The governor assured that they acquired new servers to help keep the website to apply for unemployment benefits active, which was collapsed last week. State employees are working around the clock to help people trying to file claims for compensation.