It’s Friday, April 24th - and NBC 6 has the top stories you need to know for the day.
No. 1 - Nurses at HCA hospitals in South Florida organized a protest when they found out the system went into crisis capacity and may put some workers at risk.
SEIU Local 1199 organized the protest outside of University Hospital in Tamarac and the Northwest Medical Center in Margate Thursday afternoon. Because the company went into the CDC guidelines for crisis capacity - as opposed to conventional or contingency capacity - hospitals can provide only medical masks when nurses care for patients with the contagious coronavirus. Before, they had higher quality N95 masks that filter out 95% of air particles.
No. 2 - South Florida's exclusive Fisher Island already has enough coronavirus testing for all its residents and staff, and now the wealthy enclave may have millions in federal loan money.
The island, long known as one of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States, was approved for a $2 million loan through a program set up to help small businesses during the virus outbreak, NBC 6 has confirmed. The Fisher Island homeowner's association is asking residents whether they should accept the funds, and has asked for feedback to be provided by Friday, according to an association email.
No. 3 - Since coronavirus hit, 26 million people across the country have filed for unemployment. The latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor showed 324,718 more claims were filed last week than the week before.
This number does not include the countless people who have not been able to submit an application due to technical difficulties. Just this week the DEO has released information detailing how independent contractors and gig workers can apply for benefits. For more information, click on this link to find out how you can apply and to see a report from NBC 6’s Sasha Jones.
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No. 4 - For just the fifth time in the history of the Miami Dolphins franchise, the team selected a quarterback in the first round of the National Football League's annual draft.
This time, Miami ended up picking the one player many fans were hoping they would "tank" for last season as the Dolphins selected Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa with their first pick Thursday night. Tagovailoa was one of the most sought after players entering the 2019 college football season before a dislocated hip sidelined him on November 16th. Miami also selected two additional players in the first round of the new “virtual” draft due to the coronavirus pandemic.
No. 5 - When their plans to get married were derailed by COVID-19, a South Florida couple tied the knot at the hospital after welcoming a baby girl into the world.
The wedding at Memorial Regional Hospital was coordinated by hospital staff as a special surprise for Roody Pierre-Charles and his wife, Witchelle Garcon. It all started when a staff member asked if the couple was married after filling out the child’s birth certificate. Within days, Reed and other hospital staff were able to organize a wedding ceremony for the new parents, complete with a cake, decorations and wedding official.
No. 6 - Weatherwise, the heat is on Friday across South Florida before a front arrives this evening, bringing plenty of wet weather this weekend. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.