Latin People News LPN: City of Miami Beach Update on COVID-19, 9/4

Latin People News LPN: City of Miami Beach Update on COVID-19, 9/4:   Friday, September 4, 2020 As we start the holiday weekend, the city continues to stress the importance of wearing facial coverings, social...

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Friday, September 4, 2020

As we start the holiday weekend, the city continues to stress the importance of wearing facial coverings, social distancing and regularly washing hands.   Ambassadors will be deployed on the beach and outside public restrooms from South Pointe Park through 87 Street. They will be reminding beachgoers about the need to follow the mandatory mask mandate and to social distance from members outside of their household. Additionally, there will be enhanced Police and Ocean Rescue presence to assist with compliance.   As a reminder, beach hours are from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please note, City Hall will be closed on Monday, September 7 in observance of Labor Day.

Countdown to Fill Out the Census The U.S. Census Bureau announced it will be sending an additional paper questionnaire to over 16.2 million households in low-responding census tracts. All mail packages are expected to arrive by September 15. This mailing is the last in a series of reminders the Census Bureau has mailed to non-responding households since mid-March urging them to respond.   Census takers are still visiting households that have not responded to the census to collect responses in person. Census takers may also visit households that have already responded as part of 2020 Census quality checks. Now more than ever it's important to get counted! The Census Bureau will END all counting on September 30. Call up your friends and neighbors and ask them to visit my2020census.gov and make sure our community gets counted.

Drive-Thru Food Distribution Feeding South Florida and Commissioner David Richardson will host a drive-thru food distribution tomorrow, September 5. Saturday, September 5 9 AM - 11 AM 2100 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL The food distribution is on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Please remain in your car and open the trunk when it's your turn in line. If you do not have a car and would like to qualify for food assistance, please call or register online. Phone: 305.604.CITY (2489) or www.miamibeachfl.gov/food

Cooking with Parks & Rec Whether this quarantine has brought out your new found baking skills or you've always been a master chef, we want to get cooking with you! The Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with Common Threads will be hosting a live brunch cooking demonstration on the city's Facebook account. Saturday, September 5 11 AM Facebook All you need is the following ingredients and you can follow along to cook with the whole family some Banana Oat Pancakes: cinnamon low-fat milk 1 egg vanilla canola oil salt sugar baking powder oats all-purpose flour 2 bananas Grab your apron and join us live!

BULK DROP-OFF: First Weekend of the Month This Saturday and Sunday, residents may take bulk trash to one of the locations listed below from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Proof of Miami Beach residency is required (formal identification with a Miami Beach address and/or a utility bill accompanied by a photo identification). Free bulk drop-off locations are: 833 6 Street; Drop off area is located on the west side of the building on Jefferson Avenue 75 Street and Dickens Avenue Please DO NOT dispose of chemical or hazardous materials, tires, paints, or car parts into the dumpsters. Contact the Sanitation Division at 305.673.7616 for more information.

Special Commission Meeting A Special Commission meeting is being held Tuesday, September 8 at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on MBTV and streamed live on Facebook. Commission will meet to discuss/adopt the County’s Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Plan. The Commission Chambers will be closed to the public, but you can watch the meeting via Zoom at https://miamibeachfl-gov.zoom.us/j/81984964001 How to provide spoken public comment during the City Commission Meeting: The public may provide spoken comment by dialing telephone 312.626.6799 or 877.853.5257 (Toll Free). The Webinar ID is 819 8496 4001#. Press *9 to raise a hand to be placed in queue to speak.

Back-to-School with Parks & Rec Virtual After School Program The Parks & Recreation Department is offering homework assistance for children in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. Additional activities will include fitness classes, yoga, cooking, science and more. Monday through Friday (September 8 - October 2) 2:30 PM - 5 PM (K-1st Grade) 3:30 PM - 6 PM (2nd - 5th Grade) Weekly Fee: $75 Virtual Teen Club The virtual Teen Club program includes tutoring/homework assistance, STEM, dance, social emotional learning, entrepreneurship, sports fitness, hobby projects and more. Virtual tutoring occurs through the Zoom platform and space is limited. Monday through Friday (September 8 - October 2) 4 PM - 5:30 PM (6th - 12th Grade) FREE for all teens enrolled in a Miami Beach school Programs may be canceled due to low enrollment. Registration has begun, register today by visiting register.miamibeachparks.com

COVID-19 & Antibody Testing *UPDATE* Walk-Up Testing The walk-up COVID-19 testing site located at the municipal parking lot on 21 Street and Collins Avenue is temporarily closed. Stay tuned for an update on its status. Miami Beach Convention Center Testing Site The MBCC testing site is now offering drive-up and walk-up COVID-19 antigen tests (“rapid tests”). This test is a nasal swab test with results reported to the patient within 4 hours or less. It will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily or until the site reaches the maximum 350 daily allotted tests. More detailed information on the purpose and efficacy of the antigen test can be found on the CDC website. Both the COVID-19 active virus and antibody tests continue to be available at the Miami Beach Convention Center testing facility located on 17 Street and Convention Center Drive. The COVID-19 drive-thru and walk-up testing site is available daily, including weekends, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is available for ages 5 and up. Visit our 'Testing' tab to view detailed information on all testing locations, including testing at the Hard Rock Stadium and homebound testing and further details.

Plasma Donation As the number of COVID-19 infections rise in Florida, hospitals are facing critical shortages of convalescent plasma for treatment. The University of Miami Health System is working with OneBlood to collect convalescent plasma to use for a potential treatment option for patients with COVID-19. Who can participate in this study? A donor must be over 18 years old, have confirmed COVID-19 documents by a laboratory test, or history suggestive of resolved COVID-19 like illness. Participants must also have complete resolution of symptoms at least 28 days before donation and not participated in any COVID vaccine trials for at least the past 12 months. For more information on the donation process, contact Tom Tanner at 305.243.5621 or via email at ttanner@med.miami.edu Transfusing the plasma that contains the antibodies into a person still fighting the virus can provide a boost to the patient’s immune system and potentially help them recover. Click here to learn more on how you can donate today.

Mask Up Miami Beach We urge everyone to wear a mask, continue practicing social distancing and meticulously wash hands regularly. Reminder, Miami Beach Police and Code Compliance Officers are giving out $50 civil citations for anyone not wearing a facial covering while in a public place or space. Free masks are being provided at all Miami-Dade Public Libraries.

Stay Informed Visit our dedicated, city-related coronavirus webpage at www.miamibeachfl.gov/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information, including important resources, impacts to city services and more. Our city hotline at 305.604.CITY (2489) is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. You can also email your questions to MBCovid@miamibeachfl.gov. Or connect with us through social media via email, Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter and via text message (text MBAlert to 888777).