It’s Tuesday, March 24th – and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.
No. 1 - More than 200 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Florida Monday as the state's death toll increased to 17.
Another 220 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the state, bringing the total to 1,227, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health. The numbers include 1,147 Florida residents and 80 non-Florida residents. Miami-Dade led the state with 278 cases, followed by Broward County with 263.
No. 2 - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has doubled down on his efforts to avoid a statewide lock down to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, as new rules have been proposed for people traveling from New York and New Jersey.
In a news conference on Monday, DeSantis said he planned on signing an executive order that would require any person flying to Florida from New York or New Jersey to self-isolate for 14 days. The governor did not explain how the self-quarantine would be enforced but said it was a criminal offense if people chose to violate it.
No. 3 - The City of Miami Beach issued an emergency order Monday that requires residents to remain in their home to the "maximum extent possible" to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
The "Safer at Home" order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, will allow residents to leave their homes for groceries, medical care, restaurant take out, banking and essential work activities. All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a residence are prohibited, the order states.
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No. 4 - A cruise ship with over 40 passengers and crew members who currently are experiencing flu-like symptoms is set to dock at a South Florida port early next week.
In a statement released on Monday, Holland America said that its Zaandam cruise ship currently has 42 people on board experiencing the symptoms and is currently set to dock at Port Everglades on Monday, March 30th. Testing for the coronavirus is currently not on board the ship while officials from the cruise line as well as the state of Florida and Broward County have not confirmed if it would be provided should it be allowed to dock.
No. 5 - Florida's attorney general launched an investigation into a report that Norwegian Cruise Lines downplayed the risks of the new coronavirus with “misleading” sales pitches to continue to book cruises, officials said Monday.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said the Consumer Protection Division is conducting an extensive investigation into the sales scripts employees received to quell virus fears coming from potential customers and sell cruise packages. The Miami New Times reported earlier this month that it obtained emails showing managers encouraged sales employees to use misleading information such as that the new coronavirus could only survive in cold temperatures.
No. 6 - Weatherwise, warm temperatures and almost no rain is the name of the game for much of the rest of the week across South Florida. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
