News You Should Know

6 Things to Know – Answers Sought in Nurse's COVID-19 Death, Local Doc Pioneering New Treatment

It’s Tuesday, April 14th - and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day

WTVJ-TV

It’s Tuesday, April 14th - and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.

No. 1 - The number of coronavirus deaths in Florida is growing - but a closer look at the Florida Department of Health’s data revealed some COVID-19 deaths are not being counted by the state.

NBC 6 Investigators obtained a list of deaths linked to the virus from the Miami-Dade and Broward medical examiner's offices. In both counties, the number of deaths related to COVID-19 was higher than the number reported by the state during the same period. In an email, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) explained its count also includes all deceased individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, even if the virus was not the cause of death. 

No. 2 - The husband of a nurse is raising concerns about her death and says she was exposed to coronavirus while she worked at a South Florida hospital.

David DiCenso says his 4-year-old son never got to say goodbye to Danielle, a traveling nurse who was assigned to Palmetto General Hospital in January. He says Danielle was forced to quarantine and get tested for COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus and died last week.

No. 3 - Florida's confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 21,000 as the number of COVID-19-related deaths inched closer to 500 Monday, while the state's governor and surgeon general said we may be at or near a plateau in new cases. 

The Florida Department of Health reported 21,019 cases in Florida and 499 deaths from the new coronavirus. There were more than 2,800 coronavirus-related hospitalizations to date in Florida, the health department said. Miami-Dade continued to be Florida's epicenter for the virus, with 7,459 cases, about 36 percent of the state's total. Broward had 3,177 cases and Palm Beach had 1,704.

No. 4 - It is not a cure. That’s the first thing Dr. Jean-Jacques Rajter wants everyone to know about the treatment he’s using on his COVID-19 patients at Broward Health Medical Center. 

He and his wife, who is also a pulmonologist, are pioneering the use of an anti-parasitic drug called Ivermectin to fight the novel coronavirus. Two weeks ago, Dr. Rajter started adding Ivermectin to the cocktail of drugs currently used to treat COVID-19: hydroxychloraquine, azithromycin, and zinc sulfate. Click here to hear more about his treatment plans in a story from NBC 6’s Ari Odzer.

No. 5 - Those seeking to apply for unemployment benefits in South Florida during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have a new way to get that sought after application without even leaving their car.

A paper application drive-thru will open Tuesday in Miami-Dade County at Gibson Park, located at 401 Northwest 12th Street, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. The applications will be available in English, Spanish and Creole. The paper applications have became valued in recent weeks during the pandemic, as Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity has encouraged people to apply by paper after various problems with the state’s website.

No. 6 - Weatherwise, South Florida will be flirting with near record temperatures and humidity on Tuesday before a front brings much needed relief by the end of the week. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.

Contact Us