It’s Thursday, July 2nd - and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.
No. 1 - As coronavirus cases continue to climb in South Florida, Broward and Miami-Dade counties have issued emergency orders requiring people wear face masks when out in public.
In a statement, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the two counties agreed to a "blanket facial coverings" order in order to avoid overwhelming smaller hospitals. Broward's emergency order also required that business remain closed between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. Take out, delivery and drive-thru are still permitted. Miami-Dade’s similar order went into effect Wednesday night.
No. 2 - Will school look and feel the same as the “before times,” before the pandemic? No, but there will be an option for Miami-Dade County Public Schools students to physically go back to the classroom five days a week.
The school board unanimously passed the district's reopening plan Wednesday night at a virtual meeting. The district’s reopening plan includes new coronavirus safety protocols and modifications, including plexiglass dividers to protect teachers. The four options for students include going back to school full-time, staying home for full-time distance learning, and two hybrid models.
No. 3 - The wearing of masks has been and is a real flash point and now a trade group in Florida representing restaurants and hotels is warning its members not to be duped by an authentic looking ID that says that the card holder doesn’t have to wear a mask.
The fake cards feature the U.S. Department of Justice logo, cite the Americans With Disabilities Act and are in circulation. Business across South Florida, with their losses mounting, are trying to keep everyone happy and being nice to those who don’t want to put a mask on, but many times that’s not what they get in return. Click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Willard Shepard.
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No. 4 - As some in South Florida are crawling toward getting back to work, job applications are being filled out rapidly across the area.
One question on those applications has some leaving the line blank and asking: can you skip that question and still get hired? Click here to see the answer in a report from NBC 6 consumer investigator Alina Machado.
No. 5 - A judge has sided with Walt Disney World in ruling that the theme park resort wasn't being unreasonable when it refused to give unlimited front-of-the-line passes to an autistic man whose mother said in court papers the accommodation should have been made under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
U.S. District Judge Anne Conway ruled last week that it was unreasonable to give Donna Lorman's son such access, saying it was ripe for abuse. Lorman filed the lawsuit after Disney World changed its policy on disabled guests in 2013 in response to reports of tourists hiring people with disabilities and terminally ill children to help them go to the front of lines and ride multiple times.
No. 6 - Weatherwise, South Florida will be dealing with more near record temperatures and storm chances increasing into the late afternoon and evening on Thursday. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
