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6 Things to Know: ‘The Fauci Effect' Skyrockets Med School Applications, Local Airport Opens COVID Test Site

It’s Wednesday, December 9th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day

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It’s Wednesday, December 9th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.

No. 1 - Travelers at one major South Florida airport will get a chance starting Wednesday to get a much sought after COVID test amid the ongoing pandemic.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport officials said they're launching the testing site for passengers who can provide proof of upcoming travel plans from FLL, nearby Miami International Airport or Palm Beach International Airport. The testing location will be in Terminal 3, pre-security on the lower-level near baggage claim. Initial operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Two tests types will be offered by an online appointment system: a Rapid Antigen test that gives results in 30 minutes and a PCR or saliva swab test with results within 48 hours. The Antigen test will cost $69 while the PCR test is $99.

No. 2 - New body cam footage from Fort Lauderdale Police shows the tense standoff between authorities and a man who barricaded himself inside a pawn shop this past Sunday.

Police say they received calls of a burglary in progress at around 6 a.m. on Sunday. When officers arrived, they say 35-year-old Ricardo Mathurin barricaded himself inside a pawn shop on West Davie Boulevard, refusing to leave the building. According to Fort Lauderdale Police, Mathurin had vandalized several stores before they had arrived and threatened to shoot at authorities several times. For the video you will see Only on 6, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Kim Wynne.

No. 3 - A man appointed to a commission that recommends judicial appointments to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has resigned citing the search warrant served on a former Department of Health employee who has criticized the state's COVID-19 data.

Ron Filipowski announced his resignation from the 12th Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission on Twitter on Tuesday, saying a raid at the home of Rebekah Jones was unconscionable. Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement served the search warrant Monday, saying a computer at Jones's home was used to hack the Department of Health. Jones refused to let agents in for 20 minutes, the department said. Jones was fired in May. State records show she repeatedly violated department policy by speaking to the media without permission. She has questioned the state COVID-19 dashboard that she helped create and has since created her own.

No. 4 - Since the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline health care workers have become heroic figures, and it seems they’re inspiring students to join their ranks.

Dr. Latha Chandran, executive dean at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, describes a 30% to 40% increase. Normally, the school gets six to seven thousand applications. It’s a national phenomenon of spiking med school applications, first reported by NPR. Applications to Tulane Medical School are up by 35%, Boston University is up by 26%, Texas Tech is up 20%, Nova Southeastern is up 15%, and on and on around the country. To hear from some of those applying, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Ari Odzer.

No. 5 - After fighting COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic nine months ago, Rosa Felipe was released from Jackson Memorial Hospital Tuesday.

As a result of complications from the treatment she received, Felipe had to relearn to walk and perform basic daily functions. This made it even more remarkable that the 41-year-old woman was able to walk through the doors of JMH’s Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center. Due to her underlying health conditions, which include asthma and diabetes, Rosa became gravely ill. She was intubated and spent two months in the intensive care unit at the very place where she worked for 15 years. To hear her story of survival, click here for a report from NBC 6’s Nathalia Ortiz.

No. 6 - Weatherwise, South Florida is waking up Wednesday to some of its coldest temperatures since February - but those numbers will be rising in the coming days. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.

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