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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT A REPORT THAT ANALYZES CERTAIN RACE, ETHNICITY, AND OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC DATA PERTAINING TO THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) [SEE ORIGINAL ITEM UNDER FILE NO. 200660]

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WHEREAS, in December 2019, a new coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, that causes an infectious disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (�COVID-19�) was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (�WHO�) declared the outbreak a �public health emergency of international concern�; and
WHEREAS, since its initial identification, COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the world and cases of COVID-19, as well as mortalities from it, are increasing by the day; and
WHEREAS, on March 1, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-51 in response to COVID-19, directing the State Health Officer and Surgeon General to declare a public health emergency in the state of Florida and directing the State Health Officer to take any action necessary to protect the public health and to follow guidelines established by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (�CDC�) to control the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-52, declaring a state of emergency in the state of Florida, designating the Director of the Division of Emergency Management as the State Coordinating Officer for the duration of the emergency, and delegating the State Coordinating Officer with the authority to exercise the powers delineated in subsections (5) through (10) in section 252.36, Florida Statutes, as needed to meet the emergency; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, given the rapid spread and severity of the virus, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez declared a local state of emergency for Miami-Dade County invoking his authority to issue orders to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community, including possibly imposing a curfew and closing certain businesses; and
WHEREAS, on that same day, Commissioner Jean Monestime transmitted a memorandum to Mayor Gimenez and requested that the County engage in aggressive outreach efforts to educate and disseminate information about COVID-19 to historically vulnerable communities, which include low income, Black, newly immigrated, and other disenfranchised populations; and
WHEREAS, additionally, Commissioner Monestime also requested the Mayor prepare a contingency plan addressing the economic impact of COVID-19 on working parents and partner with local social and religious organizations serving individuals in such communities to facilitate the provision and receipt of medical care; and
WHEREAS, on a daily basis, the Florida Department of Health reports increases in confirmed cases of Florida residents with COVID-19 and in deaths from COVID-19 in Florida; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County is global community where different sectors of the community interact regularly through business, entertainment, sports, religious, and social activities; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Monestime�s requests would provide direct assistance to its most vulnerable residents as we navigate through COVID-19 and its detrimental health, social, and economic impacts; and
WHEREAS, such direct assistance to our most vulnerable residents would benefit the community as a whole, particularly in light of the highly transmissible nature of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, in an effort to reduce the possibility of mass exposure in Florida, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios announced closures until further notice, schools and universities have temporarily closed in favor of remote learning options, and numerous other large social and community events and gatherings have been cancelled as precautionary measures to protect the community; and
WHEREAS, similarly, on a national front, professional and college sports leagues, including, but not limited to, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Hockey League, and the Professional Golfers� Association have suspended operations; and
WHEREAS, businesses and government offices are continuing to announce new closures daily to ensure the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare as a result of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, despite such herculean and unprecedented efforts to stymie the rampant transmission of COVID-19, nearly 15,000 Floridians have tested positive for the deadly virus as of April 8, 2020 and many more have likely been exposed to it; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 has been reported to have more detrimental consequences to the elderly, individuals who are immunocompromised, and people with preexisting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and lung diseases; and
WHEREAS, unfortunately, medical research data reveals that many Americans with the noted preexisting conditions and many others, as well as minorities and others who live in marginalized communities who are typically less insured and without great access to medical care, have been severely impacted by COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, in fact, statistics from the states of Louisiana, Michigan, Illinois, and North Carolina, as well as Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, show a disproportionate number of Blacks have contracted or died from COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, specifically in Milwaukee County according to www.propublica.org, as of Friday, April 3, 2020, Blacks, who make up 26 percent of the county�s population made up almost half of the county�s 945 COVID-19 cases and 81 percent of its 27 deaths; and
WHEREAS, similar statistics were also reported by www.bridgemi.com for Detroit, Michigan where Blacks comprise 79 percent of the population and seven percent of the state�s population, but account for an alarming 26 percent of COVID-19 infections and 25 percent of such deaths in the state; and
WHEREAS, in an effort to identify and address inequities in health outcomes in Miami-Dade County, it is imperative that the County track the demographics of individuals infected with COVID-19,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to prepare and submit a report that analyzes certain race, ethnicity, and other demographic data pertaining to the number of individuals in Miami-Dade County who have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). At a minimum, such report shall include the following information, to the extent it is publicly available:
1. the number of individuals in Miami-Dade County who have tested positive for COVID-19;
2. the number of individuals in Miami-Dade County who have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 or medical conditions exacerbated by COVID-19;
3. the number of individuals in Miami-Dade County whose cause of death is COVID-19 or COVID-19 related; and
4. the age, gender, race, and ethnicity of the individuals described in each of the foregoing categories.
Section 2. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to provide a report to this Board within 45 days of the effective date of this resolution and to place the completed report on an agenda of the Board pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65.
>> Section 3. If such report reveals that any particular race, ethnicity, age group, or other demographic included therein has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to prepare a plan to provide additional support and services to aid the affected populations. At a minimum, such plan shall:
1. identify and provide for additional testing locations and services in impacted communities, which shall include, but not be limited to diagnostic and antibody testing;
2. provide assistance with the acquisition and delivery of food, medication, and other household goods and services, as may be necessary; and
3. identify measures that could help reduce the number of individuals infected with COVID-19 in such communities as well as other measures to reduce and prevent the transmission of COVID-19 throughout Miami-Dade County and beyond.<<1

1 Committee amendments are indicated as follows: Words stricken through and/or [[double bracketed]] are deleted, words underscored and/or >>double arrowed<< are added.