As a limited supply of the coronavirus vaccine has become available across Florida, residents are understandably anxious to know when they will be able to stand in line for a dose.
New locations will be opening up across the state in the coming days while one of the biggest sites in all of South Florida will be closing their gates a little bit early on Monday.
More Vaccine News
Here's what we know today about the coronavirus outbreak in Florida, and the effort to stop it.
Florida Surpasses 1.5 Million COVID-19 Cases
Florida added nearly 14,900 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the state's total infections past 1.5 million.
The 14,896 new confirmed COVID-19 cases brought Florida's total to 1,503,482 since the outbreak began, according to figures released by the state's department of health.
‘We're Not Doing Any Tourists' at Vaccine Sites: Florida Gov. DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is continuing to prioritize seniors for the COVID-19 vaccine but said the state isn't making them available to tourists.
DeSantis held a news conference at The Villages Tuesday morning to give an update on the state's vaccination progress.
"We're not doing any tourists, some of these nursing home people may live here six months of the year so that's a little bit different," DeSantis said. "We have people all over the country, because we put seniors first and because people actually see shots going in arms, you have literally people all over the world and all over the country calling here to see. We're not doing that, we're not doing it for tourists, we're not doing it for interlopers."
Florida Expanding Publix Covid Vaccinations to More Pharmacies in Panhandle
Florida is expanding its COVID-19 vaccination partnership with Publix into more pharmacies in the Panhandle.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that 18 more Publix pharmacies in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Escambia counties will begin taking vaccination reservations on Wednesday and will be putting shots in arms on Thursday.
DeSantis announced the partnership with Publix last week, with vaccinations beginning last Thursday at 22 pharmacies in Marion, Hernando and Citrus counties.
Gov. DeSantis Says More Than 350,000 Seniors Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine
Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference early Tuesday from the Villages, addressing COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the senior community.
DeSantis said Florida has vaccinated 350,000 seniors, and that more than 50 percent of total vaccinations administered in the state have been for individuals 65 years and older.
The state remains focused on vaccinating elderly populations and health care workers before moving on to the general public.
COVID-19 Vaccination Site Opens Tuesday at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale
Broward Health is partnering with the team and the City of Fort Lauderdale to begin vaccinations at Inter Miami CF Stadium at Lockhart Park on Tuesday.
Patients must pre-register to be eligible for vaccination and be age 65 and over, office staff of Broward Health's credentialed physicians, EMS, or non-credentialed community healthcare providers who do not have access to the vaccine, as well as their office staff.
Patients must pre-register at BrowardHealth.org, and no walk-ups will be accepted.
Florida Adds Phone Text Alerts for Vaccination Distribution Updates
Florida Adds 11,576 New COVID-19 Cases, Reports 163 More Virus-Related Deaths Monday
Florida added more than 11,500 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, as the state's virus-related death toll increased by more than 160.
The 11,576 new confirmed COVID-19 cases brought Florida's total to 1,488,586 since the outbreak began, according to figures released by the state's department of health.
Another 138 virus-related deaths among Florida residents were reported Monday, bringing the total to 23,071.
Technical Issues as Miami-Dade Opens Limited Number of Vaccine Appointments
Miami-Dade County opened a limited number of appointments for the COVID vaccine to seniors in the area on Monday which were quickly filled up but not before the website for booking them experienced technical issues.
The portal was opened at 2 p.m. to residents 65 and older but crashed before opening again around 2:45 p.m. 2,000 appointments were filled in less than 10 minutes, Levine Cava said.
New Broward COVID-19 Vaccine Site Opening in Coral Springs Amid Backlog
A new COVID-19 vaccine distribution site in opening in Broward County at a mall in Coral Springs.
City officials said the site is scheduled to open Wednesday at Coral Square Mall through a partnership with the Florida Department of Health.
Officials said appointments will not be available through the FDOH portal for the Coral Springs site until they are able to work through their current backlog. About 40,000 people are on the list awaiting vaccination appointments, officials said.
Miami-Dade Opening Limited Number of Vaccine Appointments Monday
Miami-Dade County is opening a limited number of appointments for the COVID vaccine to seniors in the area on Monday.
The county will open the appointments starting at 2 p.m. to residents ages 65 and older. Appointments can be applied for at this link.
Miami-Dade officials say they are working to make the vaccine available to the community as quickly as they are received.
Two South Florida Worship Centers Among New Locations for COVID Vaccines
Two locations in South Florida will be among several worship centers across the state who will begin providing the COVID vaccine to seniors.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the locations on Sunday in Lynn Haven, located just outside Panama City. The facilities include locations in Hollywood at the Koinonia Worship Center as well as a location in Fort Lauderdale at the New Mount Olive Baptist Church.
Other locations across the state include Lynn Haven, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa and St. Lucie. DeSantis added the locations aim to give the vaccine to those in primarily Black communities across the state.
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Florida Adds 12,300 New Cases, More Than 100 Resident Deaths Sunday
Florida added over 12,000 new COVID-19 cases and over 100 resident deaths, according to the state's daily report Sunday.
The 12,313 new confirmed cases brought Florida's total to 1,477,010 since the outbreak began, according to figures released by the state's department of health.
Another 108 virus-related deaths among Florida residents were reported Sunday bringing the total to 22,912.
The positivity rate for new cases in the state was 10.40% in Sunday's department of health report, down from Saturday's 10.79%.
Celtics-Heat Game Postponed Over Virus Concerns
Sunday’s game between Boston and Miami was postponed because of contact tracing concerns within the Heat, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Hard Rock Stadium Vaccination Site to Close Early Monday
The site in Miami Gardens will be closing early due to the College Football Playoff national title game between Alabama and Ohio State.
Residents can now schedule an appointment to receive the coronavirus vaccine at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. A spokesperson from the Florida Division of Emergency Management said about 1,000 appointments will be available per day due to a limited supply of doses available from the federal government.
CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VACCINE AND HOW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE VACCINE IN MONROE COUNTY
