It’s Tuesday, December 28th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Two children were killed and another four children were hospitalized with injuries when a car plowed into them and fled the scene in South Florida on Monday, authorities said.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that it was investigating what happened outside an apartment building in Wilton Manors, Florida, along with the Wilton Manors Police and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. The sheriff's office didn't immediately provide ages for any of the children. Steven Gollan, a battalion chief with the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department, said at a news conference Monday night that the hospitalized children were “severely injured." The Wilton Manors Police Department tweeted that a family reunification center was set up at the City Hall Emergency Operation Center. Anyone with more information can contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
No. 2 - As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in South Florida, the demand for testing kits has also increased.
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In Miami-Dade County, free take-home rapid test kits were distributed to the public "in response to the growing demand for COVID-19 testing and to help residents who gathered for the holidays stay safe," a news release said. The take-home kits were distributed at 27 library locations as part of a two-day program coordinated by the Miami-Dade Public Library System, the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center. The program began on Dec. 24 with five library locations and expanded to 27 library locations on Monday.
No. 3 - Florida reported over 39,000 COVID-19 cases combined over Christmas weekend, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state reported 21,077 cases on Christmas Day and 17,955 on Sunday, according to the CDC data released Monday. Those daily numbers were still lower than the record-breaking 32,874 cases reported for Christmas Eve. The CDC did not release numbers on Sunday. Florida has seen a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases in the past week. Last Friday, it added more than 32,000 cases, a day after reporting 31,000 in one day as well. As another wave of COVID-19 crashes through South Florida after the holidays, there was a mad dash for testing and treatment. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6 investigator Phil Prazan.
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No. 4 - U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop. The decision also was driven by a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, propelled by the omicron variant. Early research suggests omicron may cause milder illnesses than earlier versions of the coronavirus. But the sheer number of people becoming infected — and therefore having to isolate or quarantine — threatens to crush the ability of hospitals, airlines and other businesses to stay open, experts say.
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No. 5 - A COVID-19 case forced the cancelation of the latest performance of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” by the Miami City Ballet.
The dance company said it had to make “the difficult decision,” and only announced it publicly about an hour before the Sunday afternoon show at the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami. “These are challenging times for all and we truly appreciate your support and understanding as we navigate the necessary changes,” said the statement posted on the company's Instagram page. The Miami City Ballet has not yet announced whether the final performances slated for Wednesday and Thursday in West Palm Beach will go on as planned.
No. 6 - A Dolphins defense that intercepted Saints rookie Ian Book twice and sacked him eight times was probably enough to push Miami's winning streak to seven games.
Miami also got a big lift from rookie sensation Jaylen Waddle to outclass New Orleans on both sides of the ball. Waddle caught 10 passes for 92 yards and touchdown in his return from the COVID-19 list, and the Dolphins beat the short-handed Saints 20-3 on Monday night, becoming the first NFL team to win seven straight after losing seven in a row. Nik Needham intercepted Book and returned the ball 28 yards for a touchdown to help Miami become one of four 8-7 teams — along with Baltimore, the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas — in contention for one of the final playoff spots in the AFC.
