Sponsored by the Miami Dade College Foundation

Bulletin Board

🌱 Support Health in the Hood’s feeding program. Health in the Hood created the Filling Fridges program to provide food delivery for 500 students and families every week, to give $100 gift cards to unemployed folks, and to make thousands of meals for low-income families. You can donate to support their work through Paypal or Venmo: @HealthintheHood-Inc. And head here if you’re interested in volunteering with the program.

🎨 Donate to the Laundromat Art Space. Like many local art spaces, the Laundromat Art Space took a financial hit from closing their doors and canceling events because of COVID-19 restrictions so they’ve created a GoFundMe to help support the space and their artists. Head here to donate.

🍽️ Get a free meal from Ghee Miami. The folks at Ghee and Niman Ranch are giving out family-style meals to restaurant industry workers that have been laid off due to COVID-19. The distribution’s happening at the Ghee location in Dadeland this Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. Head here to pre-order and choose a pickup time.

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

We’ve continued to update 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. 

Thanks again to our Bulletin Board sponsor, the Miami Dade College Foundation. Head here to support their COVID-19 Student Relief Fund.

📊 Numbers — There are 22,519 positive cases in the state, up from 21,628 on Tuesday night. And 614 deaths, an increase from 571 on Tuesday night. 191,377 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.

👀 Local impact — Miami-Dade and Broward cases have increased to 11,426 positives, from 10,973 on Monday night. Here’s a list of testing sites in SoFla. Need a paper unemployment form to file a claim? Here are the county libraries where you can pick up and drop off the forms.

Publix is creating more special-shopping hours, this time for first responders and hospital staffers. They’ll be able to shop from 7 to 8 a.m. on Fridays and 8 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.

And social distancing measures have resulted in a 80 percent drop in normal transit ridership, as the system makes cuts and reductions to routes and services.

🗣️ Response — Doctors in the 305, and around the country, are starting to rethink some of their coronavirus treatment methods. Instead of immediately placing a patient on a ventilator, if they start to experience severe breathing problems, they’re trying things like adjusting the patient’s position and placing them on oxygen before using a ventilator.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has put a new person in charge of the state’s flawed response to COVID-19 unemployment claims, and the current executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will still keep his job.

The state’s month-long ban on visiting nursing homes expired on Tuesday but will likely be extended as the facilities deal with a growing number of cases. And speaking of those centers, a group representing about 700 of those nursing homes has been working to get the nursing homes protected from potential negligence lawsuits.

Farmers are taking a big hit on demand for their products due to COVID-19 closures but will be getting an assist through a new state initiative called “Keep Florida Growing” aimed at connecting them to consumers looking for their goods.

🏨 Business impact — Miami businesses can get a share of $150,000 in grants and ad credits through a new Facebook program. The opportunity will be open to 38 small businesses.

🎒 Schools — Parents in Miami-Dade shouldn’t expect school campuses to reopen before the school year ends, at least that’s Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s take on the situation. State leaders still haven’t given formal guidance, but the statewide teachers union has asked that schools remain closed through the end of the school year.

How are students doing with attendance in their digital lessons? More than 25 percent of students didn’t sign on to their virtual classes on at least one day last week. The lowest attendance rates are for schools in some of the 305’s poorest neighborhoods.

❌ Closures, orders, and cancellations — Here’s a roundup of curfews and mandates that individual cities, towns, and villages in the 305 have ordered for their residents.

😊 Some bright spots — For the EDM fans who are bummed out about Ultra and Miami Music Week being canceled — and don’t live near a Brickell balcony — David Guetta’s streaming  a show Saturday night that will at least take place here, even if we can’t be there IRL.

✅ 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 lists of local food spots offering takeout and delivery from the New Times and Infatuation Miami.

We’re thankful for Jeanie Canavan.

Jeanie, a self-taught seamstress, is using her know-how to help fight against the COVID-19 crisis by sewing protective masks for local hospital workers, first responders, family members, and friends.

A secretary at Miami Dade College’s Homestead campus, Jeanie and her family lived through the devastation of Hurricane Andrew, and they understand the value of lending a helping hand during a crisis.

So far, she has made 50 non-surgical masks and is working on 100 more masks.

If you’re looking for ways to help, MDC Foundation is accepting donations for their COVID-19 Student Relief Fund to help students meet basic needs and cover tuition. Donate today.

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Tomorrow’s newsletter will have some news on changes to our team so look out for that and we’ll see you in your inbox, Miami!

— The New Tropic