With COVID-19 infections on the rise going into the holidays in South Florida, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava introduced the county's first Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Peter Paige will be taking the helm of the region's COVID-19 response moving forward.
"We know this is coming, and we know our numbers are increasing," Dr. Paige said in a virtual news conference on Tuesday. "We have to be more vigilant. We have to be more thoughtful, contentious."
The task that lies before the Dr. Paige may be daunting. Health experts expect the seeds of another wave of coronavirus cases to be planted this Thanksgiving, as families and friends gather for the holiday.
The new Chief Medical Officer kept his recommendations on how to manage the spread of the virus over the next few days general - asking people to keep their gatherings small, preferably outside and maintain social distancing.
On Tuesday, Florida added more than 8,500 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, as the state's reached total to 953,300.
Miami-Dade County currently has 218,294 cases, along with 3,789 COVID-related deaths.
