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REPORT:
Chairwoman Edmonson asked Mayor Gimenez and those departments impacted by the virus to provide an overview on how the County intended to address the impact and cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the contingent emergency plan in place. She noted Miami-Dade County currently had no COVID-19 reported cases.
Mr. Don Steigman, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jackson Health System (JHS), stated JHS and its hospitals continued to monitor developments surrounding COVID-19 and were working closely with their partners at the University of Miami (UM) in conjunction with the State of Florida Department of Health (DOH). He advised JHS had a plan in place to diagnose and treat COVID-19 cases if necessary, and the emergency plan was constantly updated pursuant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. He stated meetings were held twice a day with senior managers to review and update the plan, and the plan would be activated and escalated as needed. He noted experienced physicians specializing in infectious diseases were working with JHS and UM and were prepared to treat potential cases if necessary. He stated protocols were also established to address how visitors entered the hospitals, emergency rooms, and clinical areas, including screening everyone entering clinical facilities, tracking traveling history, and symptoms being experienced by the visitors. He stated the visiting policies for the hospital and two (2) long-term care nursing facilities were currently under review and advised JHS had dedicated clinical staff at all hospital sites to move suspected and/or confirmed COVID-19 patients to an isolated room for further examinations and treatment.
Mr. Steigman said there were over one hundred twenty (120) negative pressure rooms available within JHS to isolate COVID-19 patients if hospitalization was required, and each hospital had designated units to isolate and house patients needing specialized treatment if the County experienced multiple cases of the virus. He noted clinical staff was equipped with all recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and a restrictive visitation protocol would also be implemented. He advised JHS continued to follow CDC guidelines at all of its facilities and ordered the COVID-19 test according to the criteria established by DOH. He stated that, while a small percentage of the patients would develop serious symptoms or other complications requiring hospitalization, most patients affected by the virus would be able to recover at home.
Mr. Steigman advised another important factor of the emergency plan was to maintain an adequate amount of supplies, particularly N-95 face masks and other PPE. He stated JHS�s management and infectious control team were working together to ensure all hospitals had adequate equipment and masks. Consequently, a waste plan was implemented to ensure the N-95 masks were only used by staff exposed to patients affected by the virus. He advised JHS had established a standard proactive measure to contract with vendors that had manufacturing plants in North America to prevent an impact on supply shipments in the event of a production disruption overseas; but currently, the hospital had sufficient supplies on hand and an additional shipment of masks was expected within a week. He pointed out JHS was well prepared to treat a large number of patients.
Pursuant to Chairwoman Edmonson�s question, Mr. Steigman answered all COVID-19 testing was currently being done by DOH.
Dr. Yesenia Villalta, Administrator, DOH-Miami-Dade County, presented an overview on the symptoms experienced by COVID-19 patients, including the current reported number of patients and deaths. She advised DOH�s highest priority was controlling the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring anyone infected was appropriately identified, isolated, and treated. She also advised that Governor DeSantis (the Governor) had issued an executive order that established COVID-19 response protocols and directed public health emergency agencies to better align resources; and Florida�s Surgeon General, Dr. Scott Rivkees, had also issued a Declaration of Public Health Emergency for the State of Florida. She reported the Governor had also issued on March 9, 2020, Executive Order Number 20-52, declaring a state of emergency in Florida for COVID-19 to ensure state and local governments had the resources and flexibility needed to prepare and respond properly. She advised that, currently, the three (3) bureaus of public health laboratories located in Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville were the only lab facilities able to test for COVID-19; but LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics offered commercial testing. She stated DOH was actively involved in enhanced surveillance for COVID-19 respiratory illnesses and explained the process established for suspected patients. She emphasized prevention and education was vital and DOH was urging residents to stay informed on how to protect themselves and their communities from COVID-19.
Dr. Villalta provided an overview of the established guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus, traveling guidelines, recommendations, and restrictions. She advised the Governor was working closely with DOH and state agencies to monitor and prevent the spread of the virus. She noted Dr. Rivkees hosted weekly statewide conference calls with healthcare communities, hospitals, and medical providers to keep everyone informed; and DOH continued to provide daily, morning press release updates. She noted a dedicated website named COVID-19/floridahealth.gov and a 24/7 hotline were created to keep the public informed.
Dr. Villalta explained the changes made to the testing protocols, noting the changes and updates made to the testing criteria helped to make informed decisions on how to control the virus and protect the well-being of clients and professionals.
Dr. Villalta cautioned residents should be prepared for the spread of COVID-19 cases since a vaccine was not yet available and noted that, until a vaccine was developed, community-based intervention such as washing hands, social distancing, and proper etiquette, were very important preventative measures to slow down the spread of the virus.
Dr. Villalta advised local DOH and community partners had been preparing for events like this and noted now was a good time for businesses, community, and faith-based organizations to implement appropriate preventative measures and actions since these organizations were a vital resource for a proper response. She advised it was important for high risk individuals due to age or severe underlining medical conditions to take action to reduce the risk of exposure.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez made an opening statement recognizing the worldwide spread of the virus and commented on the County�s proactive approach to combat the virus and commitment to remain within the guidelines established by CDC and the State of Florida. He stated that, according to DOH data, the State of Florida currently had twenty (20) confirmed COVID-19 cases with three hundred nineteen (319) persons under observation statewide. He stated twenty (20) persons out of the nineteen (19) cases were Florida residents with fourteen (14) of the patients having contracted the virus in Florida and five (5) from traveling. He noted one (1) non-Florida resident had acquired the virus in Florida and two (2) patients out of the twenty (20) confirmed cases had passed away.
Mayor Gimenez stated that, while Miami-Dade County had no confirmed cases as of today (03/10), Broward County had reported four (4) cases of the virus, which was a cause of concern due to the frequent commute of residents between the two counties.
Mayor Gimenez advised CDC had specific recommendations for different communities across the United States depending on the number of cases in a particular region, and DOH had recommended self-monitoring for international travelers even if the country had no reported cases of the virus. He explained the recommendations and traveling restrictions imposed for certain countries. Mayor Gimenez noted the County�s employee leave policy was currently under review for employees returning from overseas trips and which employee classifications would be granted administrative leave. He noted all County employees had been sent an email apprising them of the County�s traveling policy.
Mayor Gimenez commented that he had met with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of cruise lines and Vice President Pence at Port Everglades on March 7, 2020, to discuss traveler safety. He stated Vice President Pence asked cruise line and federal officials to work together to develop additional emergency protocols by March 10, 2020, noting that task had been completed. He advised that he would meet with White House officials on March 11, 2020, along with Port Director Juan Kuryla and CEOs of major Miami cruise lines to present and review the proposed emergency protocols that should be implemented for the cruise lines as requested by Vice President Pence. He advised the CEOs of several cruise lines had inquired if Port Miami would accept cruise ships carrying passengers diagnosed with COVID-19, and cruise lines officials were told that Miami home-ported cruise ships would be allowed to dock in an isolated area if carrying passengers diagnosed with COVID-19 since the cruise line industry and the County were partners and most passengers traveling out of Miami were Americans.
Mayor Gimenez reported the County had contracted Global Rescue to handle COVID-19 diagnosed passengers and transport them off the ship and out of Miami if any of the passengers resided in a different County. He stated the County would work with Global Rescue and the cruise lines to develop an emergency protocol and identify an isolated place to dock the ships.
Mayor Gimenez advised community health remained as the County�s main focus with particular emphasis on senior centers and persons with underlining medical conditions since these persons were twice as likely to have complications from this disease; therefore, a protocol for the County�s adult day care centers, assisted living facilities (ALFs), and nursing homes was under development.
Mayor Gimenez stated Deputy Mayor Maurice Kemp was spearheading the development of these protocols in conjunction with executives from senior services organizations. He noted a meeting was held last week with representatives from senior centers, nursing homes, ALF associations, Alliance for Aging, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), leading public healthcare practitioners, DOH, and other affected stakeholders.
Mayor Gimenez noted Deputy Mayor Kemp, in conjunction with other stakeholders, were tasked to develop and establish protocols for different scenarios in various service areas; and that task had already been completed. He explained the group conducted an analysis to identify uniform responses for nursing homes, ALFs, and adult day care centers; and the logistics of caring for the elderly was also reviewed to ensure the delivery of meals if it became necessary to provide that type of service to community centers. He noted healthcare professionals were asked to provide recommendations on how to circulate a warning to seniors attending community centers for services and how to best provide those same services to them in order to be able to facilitate the development of a protocol for the delivery of those services. He also noted healthcare and senior providers were told that Miami-Dade County would do whatever necessary to protect the most vulnerable populace; and stakeholders had determined it was imperative to develop an uniform response for suspected cases of COVID-19, establish a protocol in line with DOH and CDC guidelines to facilitate communications, set notification thresholds, establish uniform care and quarantine procedures, and create protocols for healthcare facilities requesting resources from the County, including individuals involved in food delivery, staff support, and handling of supplies. He stated documents outlining the established procedures would be produced by specific environments, facility type, and specific provider in order to give direction to agencies providing services to the elderly community. He noted the matrixes would help minimize the spread of COVID-19, and the document would also describe what action should be taken in case of a suspected case.
Mayor Gimenez provided a brief summary of the websites and telephone numbers available to the public for information on COVID-19. He noted he had met with all County department directors to ensure COVID-19 protocols were in place in every department and ensure hospital beds and emergency rooms were available for patients suffering from the virus.
Mayor Gimenez advised the County would continue to remain vigilant and work on strategies to address COVID-19. He reviewed the protocol established for transit, noting all buses were being sanitized daily and hand sanitizers were installed at all public facilities. He stated the Governor�s Emergency Declaration provided the County with great autonomy to make decisions, noting the question of whether the County should declare a separate state of emergency would be determined at a later time since that issue was currently under review by the County Attorney.
Mayor Gimenez advised the County would meet with community event organizers and DOH to develop and establish a policy for large outdoor events, including ad-hoc and indoor events, to ensure the public�s safety and adequate protection was used, and to review what preventative measures should also be implemented for events held at the American Arena and Adrienne Arsht Center exceeding 2,500 attendees.
Mr. Frank Rollason, Director of Miami-Dade Emergency Management (MDEM), explained the readiness plan of the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center (EOC) had three (3) activation levels; and the department�s current activation level was established at the monitoring phase, Level 3, since the County had no reported COVID-19 cases. He explained the department maintained constant communications with statewide agencies, and EOC was prepared to activate Level 2 of the readiness plan if the Mayor and/or DOH deemed it necessary when the County experienced a cluster of cases. He also stated MDEM felt comfortable with the decision to maintain a Level 3 status.
Fire Chief Alan Cominsky, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), advised his department was asking appropriate screening questions to all patients calling 911 so that first respondents could determine beforehand which gear and equipment to utilize when responding to emergency calls. He noted the department had updated Appendix 10.5 of the department�s manual procedures, which outlined notification and step-by-step procedures to follow when transporting individuals to particular hospitals. He stated MDFR currently had sufficient supplies of PPE equipment on hand but would continue to explore options to place orders for additional supplies. He explained the department�s new and improved decontamination procedures and reassured the Board that staff was well informed and trained on how to handle these incidents.
Mr. Lester Sola, Airport Director, Miami International Airport (MIA), advised the airport had been actively engaged in safety and precautionary procedures for several weeks if not months; and the airport had engaged in an active role in conjunction with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He stated CDC was enabled to review the travel history of incoming passengers, and the airport was now in the maintenance phase of cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces. Consequently, as part of the established safety protocol, the airport had employed additional crew to disinfect surface areas and ensure hand sanitizers were readily available throughout the airport particularly in the common and international travel areas. He provided a brief overview of the safe hygiene instructions provided to passengers and employees.
Mr. Sola provided a comparison of the volume of passenger traffic from last year to this year and reported the airport observed a ten percent (10%) decrease in passenger traffic since February of this year. He noted there were no direct flights to Asia and other areas with extensive COVID-19 cases and stated it was too soon to determine the long-term impact of the virus on the airline travel industry.
Mr. Sola advised the airline industry expected a ten to twelve percent (10-12%) decline in the volume of international passengers and seven to eight percent (7-8%) decline in the volume of domestic passengers for the near future, and airlines were reviewing how to reduce costs. Therefore, under the Mayor�s leadership and as business partners of the airline industry, the airport�s administration was reviewing how to make it less expensive for airlines to continue flying into MIA.
Mr. Sola explained that, historically, the public safety and passenger screening protocols for ill passengers required MDFR to be called; however, under the Mayor�s leadership and in conjunction with Mr. Migoya�s Office, the airport administration was reviewing the feasibility of establishing a partnership with JHS to have medical staff stationed at the airport to facilitate an initial diagnosis of ill passengers to improve the passenger experience. He noted that measure would also allow connecting passengers to know their medical condition before leaving the airport.
Mr. Juan Kuryla, Seaport Director, Port Miami (the Port), advised COVID-19 protocols were implemented at the Port over a month ago; and the Port�s administration began to work with federal agencies to prepare in the event circumstances surrounding the virus worsen. He stated the Port had over two hundred (200) hand sanitizers on hand, and additional supplies of face masks and hand sanitizers had been ordered. He stated the Port administration was also reviewing the feasibility of installing electro-static sprayers throughout the terminals.
Mr. Kuryla advised there were no cancellations to date for ship sailings or cargo shipments and noted this month�s figures correlated with last years� figures for the same time period. He reported cruise ships still had a solid occupancy rate; and based on current figures, the Port remained financially strong. He stated the Port would be able to fund its capital and operational expenses even if a fifteen to twenty percent (15-20%) passenger traffic reduction was experienced.
Discussion ensued among the Board members and Mr. Kuryla regarding the partners of the cruise and cargo industries, the Vice President�s position on COVID-19, and the opinion of the cruise industry executives.
Mr. Alfredo Ramirez, Director of Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), advised the virus had been monitored for the last two (2) weeks by the department, and several meetings were held with Mayor Gimenez. He reassured the Board that officers operating in the field were well equipped with the necessary PPEs, and professional staff was trained to ensure work areas were maintained clean and sanitized as required by established sanitary guidelines. He stated officers were asked to stay home when feeling sick and spoke about the department�s commitment to support EOC and provide traffic security support to facilities as needed.
Mr. Michael Liu, Director of Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD), advised an internal response team comprised of key departmental managers was organized and noted information regarding virus prevention was distributed to residents as soon as it became available. He stated that all janitorial services contractors� hours were increased by at least two (2) hours a day, and PHCD now required all common areas and handles to be cleaned three to four (3-4) times a day depending on the size of the development. He said meal service contractors providing services on PHCD�s sites were asked to maintain the cleanest possible meal areas. He advised the department was reviewing the feasibility of implementing a meal delivery program for seniors similar to the program described by the Mayor. He noted meetings were being scheduled with the department�s senior centers, in consultation with DOH, to discuss and emphasize which steps needed to be implemented to ensure senior centers were sanitized. He stated PHCD began to take steps to prevent the transmission of the virus to residents of ALFs, particularly at Helen Sawyer, and to ensure the community was made aware of the preventative measures established.
Mr. Liu advised there were currently no reports of any public housing residents being diagnosed with COVID-19 or having been under observation for the virus. He stated the department, along with the Internal Services Department (ISD), was evaluating how to increase supplies such as gloves and hand sanitizers to workers, particularly those performing maintenance tasks.
Ms. Lucia Davis-Raiford, Director of Community Action and Human Services Department (CAHS), advised the department had serious concerns about the virus since all activities and services were done aggregately and at congregate sites, particularly elderly and Head Start services, rehabilitation and transitional housing, and domestic violence shelters. She noted CAHS began working with DOH in February 2020 to develop and establish preventative measures and train all employees providing elderly services, including the one thousand (1,000) senior volunteers and employees involved in targeted service areas and neighborhood centers.
Ms. Davis-Raiford stated training and robust cleaning protocols were developed for service providers involved in direct delivery of meals and requiring close proximity to clients. She advised cleaning cycles were increased at all service sites, upon consultation and approval from Healthcare and High-Risk Security Services (HSS), and made applicable to everyone entering the centers. She advised all clients were informed and kept abreast of the preventative measures and training protocols established by the department.
Ms. Christina White, Supervisor of Elections, assured the Board that the department was ready for the presidential primary election, which was a week away, and explained the State of Florida was a closed primary state. Therefore, only Republicans and Democrats would be eligible to vote on this election; and one third (1/3) of registered voters would be unable to vote due to being registered as voters with no party affiliation. She pointed out approximately 123,000 voters had already voted, of which about 100,000 voters voted by mail and 23,000 participated in early voting.
Ms. White stated the department did not anticipate long lines of voters for this election and noted additional personal protective measures would be taken on the day of the election including making hand sanitizers, spray disinfectant, and hand wipes available at election sites. She reported hand sanitizer pumps were already installed at the election sites and registration check-in desks. She stated residents who participated in early voting were encouraged to use the hand sanitizers upon check-in to ensure sites remained as sanitized as possible and noted the same procedure would be implemented on that day.
Ms. White explained the department�s contingency plan which included keeping on standby poll workers, noting that she remained optimistic that all 6,000 poll workers would remain engaged in the process.
Ms. Maria Nardi, Director of Parks Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS), advised PROS followed closely the protocol established by the Mayor�s Office and had already been working on this issue for months. She noted the necessary supplies were adequately stocked; and the cleaning schedules of facilities were increased to four (4) times a day. She noted hand sanitizing stations were installed at all facilities including Zoo Miami, and persons entering and exiting the facilities were required to sanitize their hands. She stated notifications were sent out to all of PROS partners, community-at-large participants, and parents regarding the information shared by the Mayor�s Office. She stated her management team had met with mid-level management throughout the department to ensure all employees understood and implemented the new cleaning protocol. She reassured the Board members that the department would continue to monitor compliance with the protocol and established precautionary measures.
Following a discussion among the members of the Board, Mayor Gimenez responded the Board should meet every two (2) weeks since Chairwoman Edmonson had the ability to schedule a meeting within a twenty four (24) hour notice if the situation escalated.
Chairwoman Edmonson stated that she had received several inquiries from the public regarding the creation of a Task Force and commented that she considered the Mayor�s meetings a task force since the meetings included representatives from DOH and various County departments.
Mayor Gimenez stated that, while he did not believe a Task Force was needed at this time, the County administration had established a framework to address COVID-19 related issues; and meetings with key industry representatives and the community had been held. He reassured the Board members that the County administration would organize a specialized team to address specific concerns if needed.
Chairwoman Edmonson requested a representative from the Board of County Commissioners be included in the Mayor�s meetings and appointed Commissioner Moss as the Board�s liaison.
Discussion ensued between Chairwoman Edmonson and Director Kuryla regarding the implementation of electrostatic sprayers at the Port of Miami.
In regards to Chairwoman Edmonson�s question, Mr. Liu advised PHCD would hold meetings with public housing residents, send out flyers, and would maintain senior centers as a priority; and those meetings were scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 12, 2020, and would be concluded by the end of next week.
Discussion ensued between Chairwoman Edmonson and Director Raiford regarding the cleaning protocol established for Head Start site locations.
Following a brief discussion between Chairwoman Edmonson and Mayor Gimenez regarding the Jazz in the Gardens event scheduled to be held in Miami Gardens, Mayor Gimenez advised municipalities were asked to ensure those events were held in a safe manner. He noted municipal governments had the autonomy to cancel outdoor events held within their boundaries. He stated the question of indoor and outdoor event cancellations was currently under review by the County Attorney�s Office, and he had no plans at this time to cancel any public events.
Commissioner Bovo commented the White House Administration should be made aware about the possibility of travelers using Central or South American countries as a connecting point to travel to the United States, particularly given China�s relations to South America and Cuba.
Mayor Gimenez advised that members of the cruise industry, the Port, and himself were scheduled to visit the White House on March 11, 2020, to discuss the cruise industry. He stated DOH was in a position to convey the Board�s concerns to the state and CDC and request guidance on that issue. He stated Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) dictated traveling regulations and noted a plan would be forthcoming.
Commissioner Bovo urged the County administration to communicate to the White House Administration that people often do not volunteer information that would impact them negatively, particularly in a quarantine type situation.
Commissioner Bovo spoke about the Census Task Force efforts to encourage residents to utilize computers to participate in the Census and stressed the importance of disseminating information to the public.
Vice Chairwoman Sosa commented it was important for the Board to hold an emergency meeting in the event the County declared a state of emergency due to the lack of information on how the virus was transmitted.
Discussion ensued among Vice Chairwoman Sosa, Mayor Gimenez, and Dr. Villalta regarding the virus� transmission in indoor and outdoor environments.
Vice Chairwoman Sosa and Mayor Gimenez further discussed the cruise industry and how to prevent the spread of the virus on cruise ships.
Vice Chairwoman Sosa and Mr. Sola discussed the importance of developing a safety guidelines protocol to prevent the spread of the virus on airplanes.
Vice Chairwoman Sosa asked Mayor Gimenez to review summer camp programs sponsored at PROS facilities, specifically the safety of children participating in those programs, and how to increase awareness about the virus. She requested the County administration review how best to test park patrons and work with the parents and hospitals on safety related issues.
In response to Vice Chairwoman Sosa�s expression of appreciation for establishing a policy to allow County employees having the virus to stay at home, Mayor Gimenez clarified the established employee leave policy addressed only County employees who had traveled; and a separate policy had to be developed for employees who became sick with the virus.
Commissioner Moss asked Mayor Gimenez to coordinate with healthcare agencies on the issue of increased demand and capacity.
In regards to Commissioner Moss� inquiry regarding how testing was being done, Dr. Villalta advised the Bureau of Public Health Labs was currently performing the tests; but it was hoped hospitals would have that same ability within the upcoming weeks. She said the procedure for providing testing swabs to medical facilities and transporting the specimens to the state lab for processing still needed to be coordinated. She noted testing was also being done at commercial labs such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, the specimen still needed to be collected at a medical facility.
Commissioner Moss suggested the tests be made available to major medical institutions and asked that the Director of the Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) be asked to appear before the Board to discuss the protocol established at the libraries.
Commissioner Heyman advised the County needed to address facts rather than fears and emotions. She requested Mayor Gimenez ask White House officials, on behalf of the County, to engage FEMA in the effort of providing information to local governments since the media was delivering inconsistent information. She stated that information should be disseminated through legitimate structured sources and noted that same request was also made at the last National Association of Counties (NACO) meeting.
Commissioner Heyman asked the Mayor to review PROS�s after school activities to respond to the needs of working parents while maintaining children�s safety due to the closing of after school activities and organized sports by private schools.
Commissioner Heyman asked Mayor Gimenez to discuss and review with the County�s bond stakeholders the feasibility of imposing a moratorium period of about a month on the collection of taxes, particularly sales taxes imposed by restaurants on beverage bills, to encourage support of blue collar workers in industries impacted the hardest since the cruise and hotel association industries had already made tax related concessions. She stated her intent to ask the County Attorney�s Office to review and provide an opinion on the effect of that action if the County was under a state of emergency and asked that all of the information requested be provided directly to Chairwoman Edmonson.
Chairwoman Edmonson asked Mayor Gimenez to ask the Directors of MDPLS and PROS to make a presentation before the Board addressing the closure of public school facilities, if it were to happen.
Commissioner Diaz thanked Chairwoman Edmonson for convening this meeting since it was important to provide information to the community. He explained relevant issues relating to the virus and pointed out the transferability of the virus through animals.
Dr. Villalta advised the facts on transferability were incomplete and guidance in those terms would be published at a later time.
Commissioner Diaz pointed out the information recently published by the World Health Organization (WHO) relating to COVID-19, pregnant women, and children in classrooms should be disseminated to the public; and that type of information should be continued to be disseminated for transparency.
In response to Commissioner Diaz� inquiry, Dr. Villalta advised she was unable to comment on national data relating to children; but there were no reported cases of infected children in Florida.
Discussion ensued among the members of the Board and Mayor Gimenez regarding the economic impact of the virus, particularly in the hospitality industries, and the federal stimulus package.
Commissioner Diaz asked Mayor Gimenez to acquire information from Washington D.C. concerning the proposed federal stimulus package.
Commissioner Martinez thanked Chairwoman Edmonson for convening this meeting and commented on the effects of fear on the community and small businesses. He stated that it was extremely vital for medical professionals to be provided with sufficient protective equipment, particularly those working in emergency rooms.
Commissioner Martinez expressed his support for the County administration�s decision not to cancel any meetings or events and recommended the community should continue to live normal lives while all necessary precautions were taken.
Mayor Gimenez agreed with Commissioner Martinez that fear and panic should not be spread, and the community needed to continue living normal lives while taking common sense precautions.
Chairwoman Edmonson concurred with Mayor Gimenez� remarks.
Commissioner Levine Cava noted she had written two (2) memorandums to Mayor Gimenez relating to the economic impact of the virus and stated that, while the County now had a better understanding of the economic resources needed to deal with the virus, the fiscal impact of the virus on the County�s budget remained unknown.
Following a brief discussion between Mayor Gimenez and Commissioner Levine Cava regarding the virus related services provided to the indigent, Commissioner Levine Cava requested JMH be asked to maintain the public informed on those services.
Commissioner Levine Cava advised she was in the process of drafting legislation to address paid sick leave for County contracted employees and asked Mayor Gimenez what type of economic relief the County could provide to individuals without paid sick leave and to struggling businesses. She urged the administration to ensure that only the employees benefited if any type of financial assistance was provided to businesses. She also requested Mayor Gimenez to apprise her on whether the County had reserves to provide financial assistance to the community.
Commissioner Jordan advised the County should implement proactive measures like teleworking and asked Mayor Gimenez to direct all departments to identify positions within their departments that could work remotely so that those positions could be approved by the Board as a measure to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Mayor Gimenez advised the County Administration had already asked all departments to begin identifying those positions.
Commissioner Jordan requested election poll workers and human services providers be asked to wear gloves to deliver meals in order to minimize the impact of the virus. She recommended all airport, MAG, and all other fees currently imposed be reviewed collectively prior to the implementation of any fee reductions.
Commissioner Jordan asked to be apprised on the County�s proposed employee leave plan addressing COVID-19 related leave for permanent status employees and asked Mayor Gimenez to consider including in the leave plan hourly rate and temporary status employees.
Mayor Gimenez noted those employees would be taken into consideration.
Commissioner Jordan advised the creation of a task force was a good idea; but it should include representation from all municipal governments including the Superintendent of Schools. She stated it should be comprised of individuals able to appear before the Board frequently, as determined by DOH, to provide update reports. She noted the task force should be spearheaded by DOH.
Mayor Gimenez clarified the School Board participated in the first virus related meeting, and the County met with School Board officials regularly to discuss the activities and plans of each governance.
Commissioner Jordan announced the City of Miami Gardens Council was meeting on March 11, 2020, to discuss their action plan including plans for outdoor activities.
In response to Commissioner Higgins� request, Mayor Gimenez advised the Homeless Trust (the Trust) would be asked to provide a report about their action plan and noted the Trust participated in the first virus related meeting.
Pursuant to Commissioner Higgins� question, Police Chief Ramirez noted the County had no prejudicial biased type cases with the Asian community since his department�s personnel treated everyone fairly.
Pursuant to Commissioner Higgins� question, Fire Chief Cominsky advised all emergency response teams were making preparations to have an appropriate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and felt comfortable with the number of supplies currently on hand. He reassured the Board members that he maintained communications with other fire chiefs on a regular basis and worked collaboratively with them to ensure the department had adequate resources.
Commissioner Higgins concurred with Commissioner Martinez� remarks regarding outdoor events and noted event cancellation decisions should be made on health-based data and information. She criticized the cancellation of the Calle Ocho event prior to the availability of any health-based facts to make the decision.
Pursuant to Commissioner Higgins� request that the County make available an adequate supply of hand sanitizers for small cultural events below the threshold of 2,500 attendees, Mayor Gimenez advised that, while the County had placed a large order for hand sanitizers, he anticipated it would take several weeks before the supplies were received. He advised the Board would be kept apprised on the pending order.
In regards to Commissioner Higgins� question regarding whether the supply of hand sanitizers was also intended for outside community agencies, Mr. Jacques Bentolila, Deputy Director, ISD, advised manufacturers of hand sanitizers were operating their manufacturing plants 24/7 to be able to sustain the high demand for the item; and the County had placed an order for 50,000 hand sanitizers of various sizes to meet the needs of the County, particularly for those without access to a sink and soap like first responders and police officers. He stated the Mayor�s Office had met with all of the County�s stakeholders across the community, including the School Board, regarding this issue. He noted senior centers and park locations had expressed their need for hand sanitizers, and the department would distribute the supplies in consultation with the Mayor to prioritize its distribution on a needs basis.
In response to Commissioner Higgins� request, Chairwoman Edmonson advised the Transit Department, MDPLS, and the Corrections and Rehabilitation Department would be asked to provide a report at the next COVID-19 related meeting.
In an unrelated subject matter, Commissioner Jordan asked Mayor Gimenez to meet with her to explain the reason for the changes in the healthcare insurance coverage benefits as it related to the change in the pharmaceutical provider.
Commissioner Monestime commended Chairwoman Edmonson for convening this meeting and stated that, based on the comments made by his colleagues on the dais today (03/10), he would like to reach a consensus on the status of the virus since healthcare leaders were already stating a pandemic was expected to happen. He commented on the gravity of the situation and argued the message from the administration was that the public should not worry which was contrary to the message from healthcare leaders.
In response to Commissioner Monestime�s comments relating to the message being sent to the public, Mayor Gimenez clarified the message conveyed to the public was not intended to be interpreted as there was nothing to worry about and emphasized that the County recognized the severity of the virus impact, particularly among the elderly and persons with underlying diseases.
Mayor Gimenez pointed out the statistics reporting the number of cases intended to keep things in perspective and agreed that the underlying message should communicate to the public that COVID-19 was a serious virus and everyone should take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families. He stated it was his intent to be transparent and operate in an orderly, organized, and logical manner.
Discussion ensued between Mayor Gimenez and Commissioner Monestime regarding the seriousness of the impact of the virus, and the measures taken to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Chairwoman Edmonson advised the departments of PROS, MDPLS, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Transportation and Public Works, and the Homeless Trust would be asked to provide the Board with a report about the virus at the Board meeting to be scheduled within two (2) weeks.
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