64º
wplg logo

LIVE

PANDEMIC

7 diseases that vaccines have all but eliminated in the U.S.

First- and second-graders line up for Salk Polio vaccine shots on April 23, 1955. Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter, we know that vaccinations have been protecting us from diseases for decades. In 1921, the United States recorded 206,000 cases, which resulted in 15,520 deaths, according to the History of Vaccines website. According to the CDC, polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. Since 1979, there have been no polio cases that originated in the U.S.

What’s at the top of your post-pandemic bucket list? Fill us in

To think of a world in which there’s no longer a COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccines now rolling out all over the country, as well as becoming available to more and more people, some have begun to talk about a post-pandemic life -- words we couldn’t imagine uttering (much less living) just a few months ago. Shall we go so far as to say there’s light at the end of the tunnel? So now we ask: What is at the top of your bucket list, if you will, post-pandemic? Maybe you’re dying to get back to work in person with your colleagues or classmates.

Seniors line up for COVID-19 vaccine in Homestead

The King Jesus Church of Ministry in Homestead is the latest site to be selected to inoculate the most vulnerable. 500 people, ages 65 and over, all from the South Dade area, received their first shot to protect themselves from COVID-19. It was a collaborative effort between Miami-Dade commissioner Kionne McGhee, Pastors from the South Miami-Dade area and various community leaders. When it comes to the second shot, to be considered fully vaccinated, the number stands at more than 667,000. More than 1 million seniors have gotten their first dose, but when it comes to the second dose, only 374,369 people have received it.

WATCH: 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. parade replay

Because of the pandemic, you couldn’t watch the 44th-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade from the streets of Miami’s Liberty City this year, but Local 10 News brought it right to you in a virtual format. Our parade show aired on Local 10 at 1 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 18), including some elements with floats and bands that were pre-recorded to avoid large crowds. We also flashed back to the epic 2020 parade that you saw live on Local 10. In case you missed it, a replay of our 2021 parade broadcast can be seen in the video player at the top of this page. To see a presentation of the MLK Day Parade put together by the MLK Parade and Festivities Committee, watch the video below.

‘Pandemic’ picked as 2020 word of the year by Dictionary.com

Over time, we were pandemic baking and pandemic dating and rescuing pandemic puppies from shelters. All of which led Dictionary.com on Monday to declare “pandemic” its 2020 word of the year. For about half the year, it was in the top 10% of all our lookups.”Another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, also selected pandemic as its word of the year earlier Monday. Kelly said pandemic beat out routine lookups usually intended to sort more mundane matters, such as the differences between “to, two and too.”“That's significant,” Kelly emphasized. The pandemic as an event created a new language for a new normal.”Lexicographers often factor out routine lookups when evaluating word trends.

I survived COVID-19, but my sense of smell didn’t. This is what it’s been like.

If you have survived COVID-19 and you’ve managed to keep your sense of smell (or quickly get it back), so happy for you, too -- truly. Getting sickWhat’s strange is that I didn’t notice my sense of smell was gone until I had already gotten over being sick. Losing my sense of smellWhat’s kind of funny is that I didn’t realize I had lost my sense of smell until I was cleaning my house one night. In this group, I learned of people who had become infected with COVID-19 in the earlier part of the year who still haven’t regained their sense of smell. Did you survive COVID-19 and still haven’t regained your sense of smell?

Did you meet your significant other and fall in love during the pandemic? We want to hear your story

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: It’s ... been quite a year. But we all know, too, that there has been plenty of good that’s come out of this year. That includes all the people who have found love. Author’s note: As someone who is married, the dating scene doesn’t cross my mind a lot, but I’ve wondered: How do people meet others, romantically, during such a strange time? If you’ve gone through this during a pandemic, I’d love to hear your story, if you’re willing to share.

With no sense of smell post-COVID-19, this woman believes a ‘guardian angel’ alerted her to a gas leak in her home

Linda Mcgrath said missing sense of smell nearly cost her her life after a gas leak sprung in her Livonia, Michigan, home, about five months after her coronavirus diagnosis. She reached out to us in response to an article we previously published about COVID-19-related smell loss. “I had a guardian angel a couple of weeks ago when I heard a hissing noise and realized I had a gas leak." When her son arrived, it was clear Mcgrath didn’t know the extent of the leak, because she never smelled a thing. A few days later, the woman said, a house nearby in Livonia blew up from a gas leak, confirming how dangerous Mcgrath’s situation could have been.

Wearing a creative or fun face mask? We want to see

This time last year, we were beginning to talk about what kinds of fun costumes and masks we might wear for Halloween. Nowadays, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, masks are an every day, everywhere kind of thing. In an effort to fight the spread of the coronavirus, masks have been mandated for wear in plenty of places, so perhaps your mask has become second nature. That not only makes it a little more fun for those wearing the masks, but for us who are out people-watching (and unable to actually see people’s faces). And perhaps you just might give some others some fun ideas to work with.

Longing for a luau? Hawaii now requires travelers to fill out a digital health application before arriving

The state of Hawaii recently launched the digital app so that travelers could provide their required health information before they arrive at the airport, speeding up the process. Travelers previously were required to fill out the same forms, but on paper, when they arrived in Hawaii. Now, the state has two different types of digital forms: One each for inter-island travel and trans-pacific travel. Upon providing health information at least one day before departure, travelers will receive a QR code that an airport screener will scan when they arrive. For the time being, travelers must check into the Safe Travels Hawaii website each day for health check-ins for the duration of their quarantine.

Are your kids doing school virtually? We want to see what your home classroom looks like

Whether your children have already begun their school year or you’re still preparing, due to delays, there are many who are choosing to keep their kids home to learn as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. Parents are doing their best to adapt, and we applaud every parent for the decision they’re making -- regardless of what that is. But for those who are keeping kids home for virtual learning, we want to see exactly how you’re adapting. What does the “classroom” you’ve created look like? We’d love to see what kinds of ideas parents have come up with, and we have a feeling other parents might appreciate some good ideas, too.

Survived COVID-19? Here’s what it’s like to donate plasma, and why it’s so crucial

Health experts have identified that plasma received from someone who has survived COVID-19 can be extremely beneficial to others who may contract the virus. Convalescent plasma is the liquid part of blood that is collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, according to the FDA. By taking your weight, they will know how much plasma you are eligible to donate. Donating without COVID-19 diagnosisPerhaps you haven’t been diagnosed with COVID-19, but you still want to help donate blood or plasma. Click here to learn more about plasma donation.

This time can be HARD. So tell us: Do you feel like you’re cracking?

Sure, some things have returned to a state of “normal,” or at least, as normal as can be expected. As the author of this story, and someone who writes/edits from home full-time while juggling toddlers and a recent out-of-state move, I usually just tell people I’m fine, when they ask. Tell us what you’re feeling. Loading…One final thing: It might feel good to fill out our form and vent a little bit (please -- I hope you do! ), but if you’re struggling or dealing with anything related to your mental health, or you’re feeling more than just “not OK,” please reach out to a trusted friend, family member or therapist.

Airline CEO: If you insist on not wearing a mask, we’ll insist you not fly with us -- from here on out

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has put out what some are calling an aggressive enforcement of mask-wearing on the company’s flights. ”If you board the plane and you insist on not wearing your mask, we will insist that you don’t fly Delta into the future,” Bastian told Today in an interview Wednesday. The CEO said the stance is one he’s taking in order to keep crew and passengers safe during the pandemic. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Delta flights have been booked to 60% of their capacity, Today reported after speaking with Bastian. “We’ve had some customers indicate that they have (an) underlying condition that makes wearing a mask dangerous for them,” Bastian said.

This mom says virtual learning is not working for her son with Down syndrome. She has some ideas on how to flip the system.

She explained that distance learning for her son Julian, who recently finished fourth grade at a public school in Maryland, was a disaster. At Julian’s school, he received the Individualized Education Program, which is federally mandated for students with special needs. Wohl suggests new distance learning is presenting an opportunity to shift norms to benefit students with disabilities, specifically those who have communication difficulties or are nonspeaking. In-person classrooms have grown to be rather large in recent years, but that can leave students with disabilities feeling overwhelmed. Wohl suggests that smaller groups can give students better access to their curriculum at their own pace, as well as social inclusion.

Eminem wants you to wear a mask in new quarantine single alongside Kid Cudi

Both of the rappers are billed on this song, but after a listen, it seems like Eminem is the one being featured on a Kid Cudi song. Eminem, at one point, goes off about people not wearing masks in public:“Half of us walking around like a zombie apocalypse. Other half are just p----- off, and don’t wanna wear a mask and they’re just scoffing. 1 rapper advocating for public health in the middle of a pandemic. We didn’t expect to see Eminem becoming a public health advocate on our 2020 bingo card, but we are here for it.

This interactive map shows where travel is restricted around the world amid pandemic

Where is travel restricted? The International Air Transport Association -- the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing nearly 82% of total air traffic -- has created an interactive map that shows where in the world travel is restricted. There are four ways -- shown by color -- in which the map shows how restrictive the travel is in each area:Totally restrictivePartially restrictiveNot restrictiveLatest updates currently under reviewWhat information does the map actually give you? Are you interested in traveling out of the country sometime soon -- or at any point in the future, amid the coronavirus pandemic? While this map is a helpful tool for future travelers, regulations around the world change quickly, so it’s important to visit local government websites of the areas you plan on visiting before booking travel.

28 things you probably forgot happened in the whirlwind that 2020 has been

So let’s take a look at all of the wild things that happened so far this year that you probably already forgot about, shall we? (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Jan. 3: Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike by the U.S. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Feb. 5: After months of investigations, hearings and lots of tweets from Trump, the president was acquitted by the Senate on both articles of impeachment. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)And now we’re in June. It’s hard to believe that all of those things happened during a pandemic, so who knows what else is next?

Is this enough?: 32,000 tests performed to protect nearly 152,000 vulnerable residents

State records show there are 151,724 people living at 4,480 licensed long-term care facilities. According to the Florida Health Care Association, the long-term care facilities support 287,298 jobs. The state’s approach to testing at long-term care facilities, he said, is considered a “representative sample." DeSantis has now ordered long-term care facility employees to visit testing sites for bi-weekly coronavirus tests. With the reopening of some non-essential businesses on Monday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he is going to be working with DeSantis to improve efforts at long-term care facilities.

Miami-Dade mayor wants restaurants to open Monday at 50% capacity

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Mayor Carlos Gimenez released Miami-Dade County’s new guidelines on Wednesday afternoon aiming to reopen some nonessential businesses on Monday. “I don’t think most restaurants can reach 50% capacity, once we establish those criteria for the table distancing and social distancing, but at least it gets them more,” Gimenez said. Restaurant Capacity in Miami-Dade (Miami-Dade)Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry told Broward commissioners Tuesday Miami-Dade “would like to go to 50%, but they know that they can’t.”If DeSantis’ approves the guidelines, Miami-Dade would be allowing restaurants to operate with a 50% indoor capacity and hair and nail salons with a 25% capacity. RESTAURANTSWhile the 50% indoor capacity would be allowed, cafeterias, diners and fast-food restaurants would also be allowed to provide the rest of the 50% capacity in outdoor seating, according to the guidelines. All rights reserved)OTHER CAPACITY LIMITATIONSElevators at museums: 4 passengersElevators in manufacturing areas: 50% capacity

Broward still ‘tweaking’ new guidelines for Monday reopening

Henry said Broward has met the federal requirements to start reopening and Gov. Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry answered commissioners' questions on Tuesday about reopening plans. NOT OPENING BEACHES YETDistrict 4 Commissioner Lamar Fisher and District 6 Commissioner Beam Furr said they want Broward to reopen beaches soon. Holness said there is a need to coordinate the reopening of the beaches with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. For more information about local restrictions and access to testing, call the Broward County COVID-19 Hotline at 954-357-9500 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

Without access to childcare, mothers struggle to rejoin labor force

Trujillo, a single mother, said she was forced to apply for unemployment insurance benefits last month. This resulted in a record-high unemployment rate of 14.7%, but the jobless rate for women rose to 15.5%. They can’t rejoin the labor force.”Rep. Vance Aloupis, who is the chief executive officer of The Children’s Movement of Florida, a Miami-based nonprofit organization, agrees with Swonk. Camacho said the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is tasked with helping families to find childcare services. And while Florida’s unemployment claims office continues to be overwhelmed, Trujillo is hopeful that the government assistance and access to childcare services will help her to get back on her feet soon.

Palm Beach restaurateurs reopen to put ‘people back to work’

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – Bagel Works in Boca Raton reopened Monday morning. Five weeks and three days after the initial coronavirus pandemic lockdown, employees of the Rocco’s Tacos in Palm Beach County were also eager to have the Mexican restaurant reopen. To make sure there was enough hospital capacity, Palm Beach went on lockdown April 3. Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner said access to public beaches begins May 18. Ron DeSantis allowed businesses in every county in the state to reopen May 4 -- except for Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

16 residents of Wilton Manors nursing home die of coronavirus illness

WILTON MANORS, Fla. – In an outbreak with more than 80 cases, 16 residents of The Manor Pines Convalescent Center in Wilton Manors died of complications with the coronavirus disease, state officials reported on Friday. According to the Florida Department of Health’s Friday report, the number of residents who died of the respiratory illness increased from 3 to 16 in one week. Officials also reported 86 coronavirus cases are linked to the nursing home including 57 residents and 29 employees. They’re now calling for more to be done to protect the life of their mother, and her fellow residents. Florida’s DOH reported 83 deaths are linked to coronavirus outbreaks at long-term care facilities in Broward County.

Plan indoor Mother’s Day activities; it’s likely going to rain

It’s likely to be a rain-soaked Mother’s Day, as a potent storm system slides into South Florida. The combination of a stalled front, an advancing low from the Gulf of Mexico, and very high atmospheric moisture looks to bring widespread and potentially heavy rain. Flooding may occur if downpours were to continually occur over the same spots. While it may not rain all day long in all locations, it is best to plan for wet weather this Sunday.

Colombian company creates bed that can double as coffin

ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal railings that designers say can double as a casket if a patient dies. Company manager Rodolfo Gómez said he was inspired to find a way to help after watching events unfold recently in nearby Ecuador. Many could not find or were unable to afford a wood coffin, using donated cardboard ones instead. At least one doctor was skeptical of how sturdy a cardboard bed might be. He also warned that any corpses should first be placed in a sealed bag before being put in a cardboard coffin to avoid potentially spreading the disease.

Hundreds evacuated as wildfires rage in Florida Panhandle

The 2,000-acre (809-hectare) fire in Santa Rosa County, located just east of Pensacola, prompted the evacuation of 1,100 homes Wednesday. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a news conference Thursday afternoon that fire officials are working around the clock to contain the wildfires. Rich Aloy, with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, was patrolling Wednesday when he and other deputies rescued an older couple trapped by a burning power line. The Santa Rosa County fire began Monday when a prescribed burn by a private contractor got out of control, Fried said. Crews from other areas of Florida, including Jacksonville, are assisting firefighters who've been working long hours since Monday.

Sexual orientation prevents married physicians from rushing to donate plasma after surviving coronavirus

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Dr. John Whitehead and his husband, Dr. Alain Ramirez were both diagnosed with the new coronavirus disease in March. But they are unable to donate the convalescent plasma because they are gay and sexually active. Plasma donor creates website to help COVID-19 patients in needGay and bisexual men face U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s blood donation restrictions dating back to the 1980s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gay and bisexual men account for about 70% of new HIV infections in the U.S. each year. “We would all like to get our lives back together, but, we have to be safe.”Blood plasma requirements (Local 10 News)

Miami Jewish Health Systems reports 8 deaths linked to coronavirus

Also in Miami, Unity Health and Rehabilitation Center in Allapattah reported seven residents died of complications with the coronavirus, public health officials reported. In Miami’s Little Havana, Floridean Nursing and Rehabilitation Center reported six deaths related to the coronavirus. Claridge House Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Miami-Dade County’s Golden Glades area reported five deaths related to the coronavirus. North Beach Rehabilitation Center in North Miami Beach reported four people dead. Here is a list of the other facilities with the most coronavirus deaths in the state:Suwannee Health and Rehabilitation Center in Live Oak reported 14 deaths.

Artist Claudia La Bianca paints at Jackson Memorial Hospital to honor coronavirus fighters

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Artist Claudia La Bianca is mapping out a masterpiece on the side of Jackson Memorial Hospital. La Bianca said she was thinking about toll COVID-19 was taking on her home country of Italy, and its potential for doom in her South Florida community. “They are fighting the bad guy, which is the virus, and they’re saving life and they’re taking care of the sick ones,” she said. Italian artist honors fighters at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Art can inspire people and can bring a positive message,” La Bianca said.

Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood differ in method to reopen beachfront areas for pedestrians, cyclists

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County cyclists may encounter different realities in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood this weekend. While Fort Lauderdale is closing the eastern northbound lanes of A1A from Las Olas to Sunrise, Hollywood has closed the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk. Raelin Storey, a spokesperson for the city of Hollywood, said this is because the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is adjacent to the beach, so it makes it challenging to open one and not the other. White one lane of the road is closed to vehicles, orange and white barricades are up on A1A in Fort Lauderdale to give pedestrians room to walk, for proper social distancing. Broward cyclists face different restrictions in Fort Lauderdale, HollywoodCyclists say it is getting dangerous to bike in areas of Broward.

Miami-Dade schools prepares for reopening with spaced-out seating during pandemic

MIAMI – Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Friday Miami-Dade County Public Schools is preparing to follow the new guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the coronavirus pandemic. CDC Guidelines for School (CDC Guidelines for School)District employees will be testing students’ temperatures before they are allowed into the bus and school, Carvalho said. During the Recover phase, the district will be holding virtual Summer School from June 8 to July 10. During the Restart phase, students who demonstrate low levels of academic performance, as well as students with learning disabilities and English language learners would return to school on July 27. For more updates from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, visit this page.

‘Remain in Mexico’ asylum hearings suspended until June 1

SAN DIEGO – The Trump administration on Thursday suspended immigration court hearings for asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico through June 1, bowing to public health concerns while extending a state of limbo those locked down in Mexican migrant shelters. While it is difficult to know precisely, the Justice Department estimated in late February that there were 25,000 people waiting in Mexico for hearings in U.S. court. Barely 1% of the nearly 45,000 “Return to Mexico” cases decided through March won asylum, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The future of “Remain in Mexico” has become less certain after the administration temporarily suspended immigration laws using a 1944 public-health law, whisking Mexicans and Central Americans to the nearest border to be returned to Mexico without a chance to seek asylum. “We really can't commit to a case.”The Justice Department, which oversees immigration courts, has also suspended hearings for people who are released in the United States through May 15 in response to COVID-19, exacerbating a backlog of about 1.1 million cases.

DeSantis extends aid for poverty-stricken families through May

Ron DeSantis and the Department of Children and Families announced Thursday the extension of two federal programs to help poverty-stricken families during the coronavirus pandemic. DCF reported receiving nearly one million applications for public assistance. According to DeSantis, nearly 3 million people in Florida benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides a monthly supplement to buy food with the help of a debit card. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds SNAP and the Department of Health and Human Services funds the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides cash assistance for families’ living expenses. To deal with the increasing demand for public assistance, DeSantis and DCF Secretary Chad Poppell invested more resources on the state’s Economic Self-Sufficiency program, which handles the applicants’ eligibility.

DeSantis discusses Florida’s reopening plan with Trump before releasing it on Wednesday

He said he plans to announce Florida’s reopening plan on Wednesday. DeSantis said in Florida close to 85% of the fatalities have been people age 65 or older. DeSantis said he has been worried about Brazil and some of the hot spots which have a lot of interaction with Miami. Trump and DeSantis also discussed a travel ban related to Brazil -- one of the world’s new hot spots. Kudlow also said Trump is looking into middle-class tax relief, middle-class regulatory relief, infrastructure development and insurance liability protections for small businesses.

Coronavirus kills 3 members of Nicaraguan family in Miami-Dade

MIAMI – Mario Mayorga, Jr., was working as a manager for Roger’s Cleaning Service, a contractor cleaning at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach during the coronavirus pandemic. From left, Mario Mayorga, Jr., Mario Mayorga, Sr., and Esperanza Mayorga died of coronavirus. (Local 10 News Share)The Mayorga family is from Masaya, Nicaragua. Violeta Mayorga, a single mother who is now unemployed, was released from the hospital and is recovering alone at home. It has been a long six weeks.”Lastre set up a Mayorga Family Relief GoFundMe page and Lourdes Perez, a close family friend, set up the Mario Mayorga and Family Passing GoFundMe page to help Violeta Mayorga during the family crisis.

Video shows thief stealing donations for Miami-Dade health care workers’ meals

The popular Tropical Chinese Restaurant employees have been using donations to deliver warm food to health care employees in Miami-Dade County. His face was covered when he grabbed the jar with the cash and took off running to the getaway car. Mei Yu, the co-owner of the Tropical Chinese Restaurant, had a message for the thief: “I don’t understand. Why do you have to steal?” She said she wants the thief to use the money for something good. Miami-Dade police officers are asking anyone with information about this thief to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Drivers started to line up for Monday morning’s food distribution on Sunday night

More than 1,000 drivers picked up free Farm Share groceries on Monday morning at Dolphin Mall in Miami-Dade County. Florida House Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, of Doral, was among the dozens of volunteers at the drive-through food distribution event at the city of Sweetwater. Sweetwater Police Department Chief Placido Diaz said many of the drivers started to line up on Monday night. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz has been volunteering at food distribution events for weeks. For more information about how to help sponsor a Farm Share food load, view this page.