It’s Monday, March 16th – and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.
No. 1 - Florida Department of Health officials confirmed dozens of more positive coronavirus cases, bringing the total number in the state to more than 140.
Among the 39 new cases in Florida, 16 are in Broward County and 5 are in Miami-Dade, health officials said. Broward now leads the state with 36 confirmed cases, while Miami-Dade has 13. As of Monday morning, 136 Florida residents had tested positive in the state for COVID-19 while another 13 non-Florida residents have also tested positive.
No. 2 - Broward and Miami-Dade schools are offering students and their families meals at several schools across the district, as fears over the novel coronavirus have shut down classrooms across the county.
Broward will be distributed on only three days this upcoming week - Monday, Wednesday and Thursday as breakfast is being served from 8 to 10 a.m., while lunch will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Miami-Dade will offer meals at each of their schools.
No. 3 - The mayors of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale announced new beach closures and restrictions on bars and restaurants in response to large spring break crowds and to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the beach would be closing from 5th Street to 15th Street, and there would be an 11 p.m. curfew in the entertainment district. Gelber said the city was also closing Loomis Park, as well as all parking garages and parking lots, except to residents.
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No. 4 - Officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don't get together and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed.
Governors were closing restaurants, bars, and schools as the nation sank deeper into chaos over the crisis. Travelers returning home from overseas trips were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, causing them to be crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have been urging people to avoid.
No. 5 - Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders sought in Sunday's Democratic debate to cast themselves as best-positioned to lead the nation through a global pandemic, with Biden pledging to deploy the military to help with recovery efforts and Sanders using the crisis to pitch his long-sought overhaul of the country's health care system.
The fast-moving coronavirus dominated the first one-on-one faceoff of the 2020 campaign, reflecting the way the crisis has upended American life by closing schools, disrupting travel and raising questions about President Donald Trump's ability to lead the nation through turbulent times.
No. 6 – Weatherwise, patchy morning fog will eventually go away to start the work week with a warm and slightly breezy Monday in your forecast. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
