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🕺 Visit a digital disco this weekend
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🕺 Visit a digital disco this weekend

Digging this view as we head into the weekend. 🌴// Tag @thenewtropic or use #livelikeyoulivehere to see your pic here!

Bulletin Board

🎨 Apply for this Oolite Arts fund. Artists looking for financial assistance can receive up to $500 in funds to make up for income they’ve lost due to COVID-19. Head here to apply. Applications are open through April 16. The organization has also collected some other resources on their website, including details about their other awards and grants.

🍽️ Support, or apply for, this SOBEWFF relief fund. The organizers of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and FIU’s hospitality school, created a relief fund to support independently owned and operated SoFla restaurants that have suffered losses or had to lay off employees because of COVID-19 closures and restrictions. Head here to apply or donate to the fund.

🗣️ Share your Miami story with HistoryMiami. If COVID-19 has inspired you to connect with older relatives, you can share some of those stories and history with the HistoryMiami Museum. They’ve created a digital option for folks to share their personal stories for the museum’s My Miami Story project.

We’ve compiled all of these COVID-19 bulletin board entries on our website.

We’ll continue updating this list so feel free to share any online events, volunteer opportunities or other ways for folks to get involved while staying safe. Hit reply and let us know or email us with the subject line COVID Bulletin Board.

🙏 Thank you so much

We want to send a quick shout out to all of our new members: Emily G., Skadi T., Carol P., Amy L., Jazmyn B., Natasha E., Grace D., Catherine W., Brenda V., Caridad P., Jennifer F., Caroline C., Vanessa N., David C. and James P.!

Thank you all for joining and for your support as we work to provide the latest info on COVID-19 and collect and share community resources in response to the coronavirus.

We’re in a critical moment for our country and our local community. We want to continue helping you all make sense of the latest, but we can’t do it without your support.

If you’re in a position to join as a supporting member, here’s where to sign up. You can join for $8 a month or a one-time annual payment of $96.

Thanks so much and stay safe, folks.

What Miami is talking about

📊 Numbers — There are 2,484 positive cases in the state, up from 1,977 on Wednesday night. And 29 deaths, an increase from 23 on Wednesday night. More than 1,690 people are being monitored, and 24,855 people who’ve been tested don’t have COVID-19. The state updates its testing numbers twice daily, in the late morning and after 6 p.m. each night.

👀 Local impact — Miami-Dade and Broward cases have increased to 1,159 positives, from 903 on Wednesday night. Here’s a list of all of the testing sites in SoFla.

Two Broward County poll workers have tested positive for COVID-19. They were working at precincts in Hollywood on March 17, our primary election date, and one of the workers also worked at an early voting site in Weston.

Local domestic violence shelters have seen an uptick in calls and occupants as victims fear being required to shelter in place in homes that might not be safe. And managers of those facilities are dealing with the challenge of giving them a place to stay while also allowing for social distancing.

❌ Closures and cancellations — The city of Miami added to its stay-at-home order by issuing a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that begins tonight. Broward and Miami-Dade counties also issued shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders yesterday. Miami-Dade’s was effective as of yesterday afternoon and Broward’s went into effect this morning.

And here’s a Herald roundup of what individual cities, towns and villages in the 305 have ordered for their residents.

🗣️ Response —  This week saw some major pressure placed on Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue a shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order for the entire state — a decision he still hadn’t made as of this morning. Some state lawmakers believe that major business leaders could be playing a role in keeping the governor from making that move.

Either way, many see this as the biggest test DeSantis has faced as governor because of how much uncertainty there is about the virus, how long it will impact Floridians and our state’s economy, and what the governor’s decisions could mean for slowing the spread of COVID-19.

🏨 Business impact — A record number of Floridians filed for unemployment last week as more than 74,000 claims were filed through last Saturday — about 30,000 more than the highest week of unemployment claims in the height of the great recession.

COVID-19 is also starting to impact local construction projects as work on at least three big developments has been delayed or halted because of fears about coronavirus or workers testing positive and the sites needing to be evacuated and thoroughly cleaned.

SoFla has a pretty booming, and competitive, healthcare business in normal situations, but the largest hospitals and health systems are teaming up and creating an unofficial coalition to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

😊 Some bright spots — In addition to farmers markets adjusting to new coronavirus restrictions, some restaurants and shops like Threefold Cafe and All Day are selling grocery and produce to customers.

✅ Other helpful info — The Herald put together a list of resources for folks seeking unemployment help, child care, and some useful hotlines. Here’s a look at new operating hours for grocery stores, including hours designated for senior citizens to shop. And here are some lists of local food spots offering take out and delivery from the New Times and Infatuation Miami.

In other news…

Getting out the vote when you can’t get out. Local political party organizers and nonprofits are also adjusting to a new reality due to COVID-19, as their get-out-the-vote efforts have to shift from door knocking and canvassing to digital platforms and encouraging folks to vote through mail ballots. (Miami Herald)

Making up for lost libraries. Local leaders planned on libraries being a big help in getting residents to fill out their U.S. Census survey online. But now they’re hoping that families can use the laptops provided to Miami-Dade students for distance learning to complete the online form. (Miami Today)

Today

😅 Stretch with a New World School teacher leading a Gyrokinesis class (Online)

😂 Check out an online version of Villain Theater's comedy clash improv show (Online)

Tomorrow

🎶 Dance in your living room with the DJs and party producers of Minnie's Disco, Peach Room Miami and Slap and Tickle on this live stream party (Online)

Sunday

💃 Dance out your demons at this Dancorcism class (Online)

Monday

🎤 Check out an online karaoke night with Let's Sang (Online)

💃 Learn to dance salsa during this two-week course with Karibe Dance Studio (Online)

Tuesday

🗣️ Take an acting workshop focused on American master playwrights presented by Miami New Drama (Online)

Wednesday

🎶 Rock out with the live bands and DJs from the weekly Haute Happy Hour at Gramps (Online)

Thursday

🗣️ Learn how a musical is created with Tony nominee, Christopher Renshaw (Online)

🎨 Make art with the kiddos with a class led by a ProjectArt resident artist (Online)

One more thing...

If you’re looking for a little dose of inspiration as you head into this weekend, check out the student musicians from Guitars over Guns singing a rendition of the Common and John Legend song “Glory.”

The video came together over three days and about 500 local students helped make it happen. Kudos to them for the great work and we hope it helps you all stay encouraged.

We’ve got a long road ahead of us, but we’re in this together. We’ll see you on Monday, Miami.

— The New Tropic

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