According to data compiled by Harvard University, COVID-19 cases in several counties in Florida have reached an extremely dangerous level. This is just in time for the holiday's when people in Miami-Dade county will leave their homes to meet each other. According to the researchers who have been studying the spread of the virus in Florida, approximately 67 counties in the region are on the tipping point.
According to information provided by the researchers, a region can be split into four different colors.
- Green
- Yellow
- Orange
- Red
A red region means that stay-at-home orders are essential to limit the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, the virus has been spreading at a rapid pace in all of the 50 states across America. Until now, more than 15 million COVID-19 cases have been reported, while more than 290,000 Americans have lost their lives due to this deadly virus.
Up till now, Florida alone has reported more than 1.1 million cases, and the hospitalizations around the whole state have surged to catastrophic proportions. In the state of Florida, Miami Dade County has the highest transmission rate, while Broward County is at second place and in third is Pam Beach County.
Attending a public gathering in any of the counties with the highest transmission rates is almost like having a death wish. If you’re attending a public gathering of 50 people in Miami Dade County, there’s a 90% and 75% chance of you getting infected.
According to the CDC, Americans must spend the holidays in the comfort of their homes, or the virus can continue to spread at an even more alarming rate. The CDC wrote, “Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.”
However, even though the spread of the virus has shown no signs of stopping, the government of Florida decided to close all testing stations during the Thanksgiving holiday.
It is also worth noting that the testing sites at Miami Beach Convention center will stay open at their normal times. However, if you’re still wondering the sites that will be available to Miami residents for testing, then you should visit Miami-Dade county’s website. It has municipal and private testing sites listed and you can easily find one nearest to your home.
All you’ll need to do is put in your ZIP code and you can filter through the testing sites according to various factors. This can be the type of test this facility offers, or if you need to have prior symptoms before getting tested or not. You can also find information on the operational hours or if an appointment would be needed to get tested.
