Local COVID-19 Updates – 4/3

Jenny Fang, Writer - The Reporter|April 3, 2020

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Ruby Rosenthal

Volusia County’s Beaches Closed As of Friday 

Thursday, April 2, 7:26 p.m. 

The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Casmira Harrison 

 

Autonomous Vehicles Moving COVID-19 Tests In Florida 

Friday, April 3, 12:43 p.m. 

Forbes, Sebastian Blanco

  • The Mayo Clinic in Florida is partnering with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Beep, and NAVYA.
    • NAVYA “designs, manufactures and commercializes autonomous, driverless, and electric vehicles that combine robotic, digital and driving technologies”.
  • Using the NAVYA autonomous shuttles, coronavirus test materials are being loaded into the vehicles and then sent from the clinic to a test site.

 

Volusia Beach Patrol Issues Nearly Seventy Verbal Warning During the First Day of Closure 

Friday, April 3, 1:07 p.m

The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Casmira Harrison 

  • By noon of today, Friday, April 3, Volusia County Beach Safety has made 70 announcements over PA systems and verbal warnings that all beaches within Volusia County are closed.
  • Repeat offenders could face a fine of up to $500 for violations.

 

Coronavirus in Florida: Sunshine State May Have Extra Time to Prepare Before ‘Spike’ hits

Friday, April 3, 1:38 p.m. 

Florida Today, Jim Waymer

  • “We still have to be very careful,” said Asal Mohamadi Johnson, Ph.D., assistant professor of Public Health.
  • Johnson added, “This is not going to leave us, and it’s going to be with us a while. This may actually get a lot worse. We’re going to experience multiple waves.”

 

City of Miami Mayor Becomes Florida’s First COVID-19 Plasma Donor

Friday, April 3, 1:56 p.m. 

Local 10, Amanda Batchelor

  • Francis Suarez, City of Miami Mayor, is Florida’s first COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor.
  • Suarez’s plasma donation through OneBlood will be used to help a patient in Florida that is critically ill.