Miami Pronouncement: 3/27/2020

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MARCH 27, 2020

“Yesterday, on March 26, 2020, Israel Carrera, 40, was the first person to die of COVID-19 in Miami-Dade County. Rest In Peace, Israel Carrera. As Miami-Dade residents, he was a neighbor to us all. His passing is our collective loss.”

Total number of cases (Miami-Dade County): 869

Total number of deaths: 1

ON THIS DAY

Miami remembers the life of Israel Carerra, the first coronavirus death in Miami-Dade. He lived near North Miami City Hall and attended the Winter Party Festival in Miami Beach early March, falling ill. He died at 40 years of age.

On this day, Miami municipalities have taken the initiative in placing shelter-in-place orders for their constituents as Miami-Dade awaits stricter rules from leadership. Earlier this week, Mayor Gimenez stated that he did not see a need for a countywide curfew, that enforcing one would create a strain on county police, and that “shelter-in-place” language should be reserved for other emergencies like hurricanes. However, Mayor of the City of Miami, Francis Suarez, was the first to impose a curfew beginning March 27th for the county’s largest municipality. Miami Gardens, Coral Gables, Sweetwater, Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Homestead, and North Miami Beach all quickly followed suit with the defensive measure, expanding the network of curfews across the county.

SOURCES

Florida Department of Health – Florida’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard

The Miami Herald – Coronavirus Live Updates: Here’s What to Know in South Florida on March 27

The Miami Herald – Miami-Dade’s first coronavirus death, a 40-year-old man: ‘He fought to the end’