It’s Tuesday, March 31st – and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.
No. 1 - More than two weeks after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez reunited with his family Monday after he announced he was no longer infected with the virus.
Suarez said in a video he posted to Twitter that he tested negative for the coronavirus for the second consecutive time. Suarez was diagnosed on March 12. Along with other Miami city commissioners, Suarez initially self-quarantined after he was in contact with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's communications director, who tested positive after traveling to South Florida.
No. 2 - More than 750 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Florida Monday, bringing the state's total to more than 5,700 as the death toll rose by 11 and Gov. Ron DeSantis said he expected a near-lockdown in South Florida to last until mid-April.
Of the 5,704 confirmed cases, 5,489 were Florida residents and 215 were non-residents, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health. The numbers in South Florida continued to spike and accounted for about half of the state's total, with 1,701 in Miami-Dade and 1,137 in Broward.
No. 3 - A new drive-thru testing site is opening Tuesday in Miami-Dade amid the growing concern sweeping the area in the ongoing coroanvirus pandemic.
City of Miami residents experiencing symptoms of the virus can get tested at Charles Hadley Park, located at 1350 Northwest 50th Street, starting at 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. for those who have made an appointment to be seen. To make an appointment, you must call 305-960-5050 and be over the age of 65 at this time.
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No. 4 - For more than 50 years, Faulkner Plastics in Hialeah has been a staple of South Florida's plastic industry, making a variety of products such as boat windows and signs. Last week, however, the company began producing an item it had never made before: face shields.
Face masks are currently in high demand, as they are needed by first responders and healthcare workers who face being exposed to the novel coronavirus. Vice President Joey McCabe said the company is producing 6,000 shields a day, with workers working 24 hours every day of the week.
No. 5 - Standing atop the roof of his charter school SLAM! in Little Havana, Pitbull had a message of resilience and unity for the world as well as a sneak peak of his upcoming song in a video shared to his followers on social media.
"The reason I wanted to do this here on the roof and show that city right behind me, Miami, is because Miami has taught me how to fight," the reggaeton and hip-hop artist said. Pitbull's characterized his new track, titled "I Believe That We Will Win," as a "world anthem," designed to harness the power of music to bring people together during trying times. It remains unknown when the track will be officially released.
No. 6 - Weatherwise, near record temperatures in South Florida will end the month of March with no rain for the next few days in the area. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
