Miami mayor on his coronavirus recovery, decision to impose a curfew
Mayor Francis Suarez speaks out about contracting COVID-19 and what Miami is doing to reduce the spread of the virus.
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The mayor of Miami announced Monday he has recovered from the coronavirus and was cleared by public health officials to end self-quarantine after spending 19 days in isolation.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez began to self-isolate on March 12 as a precaution after showing mild symptoms of COVID-19. He tested positive the following day, the Miami Herald reported. More than two weeks later, Suarez announced in a Twitter video shot from his backyard that he received two consecutive negative test results, clearing him to end quarantine.
“Hey guys, I’ve got some awesome news to share with you,” Suarez said in the video posted Monday. “I finally got my results back. My second results came back negative. So I can officially leave quarantine.”
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“I have tested negative for a second consecutive time, meeting the strictest CDC guidelines that release me from quarantine!” Suarez wrote in the tweet accompanying the video. “I‘m deeply grateful to everyone for your support through this journey. This is a small victory in our ongoing battle to beat COVID-19. #InThisTogether”
In a virtual press conference Tuesday morning, Suarez announced a new 10 p.m. curfew for city residents. He thanked the city manager and commissioners for communicating with him to coordinate the city's response to the outbreak while he remained isolated. He said his wife and two children stayed at his in-laws' house during his quarantine.
Miami was the first city in the U.S. to cancel large events, such as the musical festivals Ultra and Calle Ocho, to prevent the spread, something Suarez said he was initially criticized for before other cities followed suit. Suarez said Miami was the second city in the country to issue a stay-at-home order.
Also on Tuesday, the city opened a second coronavirus test site in Charles Hadley Park in Miami-Dade. The county declared a state of emergency on March 12 -- the same day Suarez began to self-isolate -- ramping up testing measures for city government officials and the general public.
Health care staff from the Community Health of South Florida, Inc. prepare to test people for the coronavirus in the parking lot of its Doris Ison Health Center on March 18 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, two Royal Caribbean cruise ship crew members – one aboard the Symphony of the Seas, another aboard the Oasis of the Seas – were medically evacuated from their respective ships at Port Everglades. Both had respiratory symptoms and were transported to local hospitals, the Herald also reported. The cruise line did not confirm those evacuated tested positive for COVID-19.
At least 14 crew members aboard the Oasis of the Seas tested positive for COVID-19 by Sunday. The ship unloaded passengers in Miami March 24, and, with Royal Caribbean canceling all future cruises, left port and docked in the Bahamas with all crew isolated in their cabins. The ship later returned to waters outside Port Everglades for the evacuation.
Florida reported more than 5,700 cases statewide, with at least 71 deaths, by Tuesday morning.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, announced Monday morning he was signing a “safer at home” order for South Florida, the worst-hit region in the state. It would remain in effect until at least April 15 but could be extended until mid-May, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The governor so far has refused to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, like those implemented in at least 30 other states, including California, New York and Illinois.
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Over the weekend, DeSantis ordered a two-week halt on all vacation rentals in the state and implemented highway checkpoints to screen all traffic coming into the state from Louisiana and the New York City area.
Those traveling on flights from the tristate area -- New York, New Jersey or Connecticut – as well as Louisiana, will be met by National Guard troops and public health officials at major Florida airports. Their contact information will be collected and they will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in Florida or risk spending 60 days in jail.
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