It’s Tuesday, April 21st - and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.
No. 1 - Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez held a virtual town hall Monday where the public voiced their concerns and suggestions on the county's plan to reopen certain public spaces.
Gimenez said there was no timeline yet, but wanted to hear residents' questions as the county begins preparations after weeks of coronavirus closures. Golf courses, parks and boat ramps could be among the first spots to reopen. Gimenez said any openings would be guided by medical experts, and said law enforcement would crack down on people not practicing social distancing.
No. 2 - President Donald Trump said Monday he would sign an executive order to temporarily pause immigration “in light of the attack” from the coronavirus.
The move comes as several states in the South - including Georgia and South Carolina - are set to reopen some businesses in the coming days, a move that has been criticized by several mayors in the states.
No. 3 - As unemployment surged during the early weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Florida ranked at or near the bottom of all states in its speed of processing those claims, federal data shows.
The state is already among the most inhospitable places to be unemployed, and the economic downturn has only added to the misery. According to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data, nearly 7 of every 8 Floridians who managed to file claims during the three weeks from mid-March until early April were waiting to have them processed — the worst rate in the country.
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No. 4 - One of the largest hospital chains in the area, HCA, is now cutting back on how much protective equipment its workers can use when treating patients with the coronavirus - a new policy for a few days that has frontline workers concerned.
According to HCA, whose network includes Aventura Hospital, there are new protocols for the use of protective equipment. N95 masks will only be used for aerosolized procedures, including intubation and nebulization, for patients who have or are suspected to have the virus. To hear more what the company said to NBC 6’s Tony Pipitone, click on this link for the complete story.
No. 5 - Six Super Bowl rings may get you special treatment in a lot of places but former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady learned Monday that it won't get you anything when you're caught working out in a park that is closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a news briefing Monday that the new Buccaneers quarterback was spotted working out by himself at a park downtown by staff patrol. The staffer went over to tell him he had to leave and she recognized the man to be the 42-year-old Brady. The four-time Super Bowl MVP left New England and signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Bucs in free agency
No. 6 - Weatherwise, after record temperatures to start the week, South Florida will be dodging raindrops for parts of Tuesday as the latest front arrives. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
