Miami mayor: South Florida weeks away from coronavirus peak

Miami, Fla., Mayor Francis Suarez (R) on Wednesday said that the southern part of the state is weeks away from the number of coronavirus cases peaking in the region. 

The comments from the local leader come as the the city’s registry of cases has increased due in part to the amount of testing that has become available.

On Wednesday, one facility saw a 33 percent jump, the mayor said.

Suarez said the peak of the epidemiological curve would likely arrive at the end of April in the region, citing Miami’s official models.

The mayor’s prediction underscores the difficulties and anxieties many states that have not yet experienced the full effects of the virus face even as some large cities are showing signs of reprieve. 

Public health experts have become increasingly worried about how the coronavirus will spread in the state of Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued a stay-at-home order later than several other states.

The governor particularly drew criticism as images surfaced of Florida’s beaches where large clusters of people could be seen congregating on the shores before the order was issued, and the coronavirus began to rage in states like New York, New Jersey and Washington state. 

Florida has more than 15,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday afternoon with close to 8,000 cases concentrated in the southeast Miami region and the surrounding area. 

However, Suarez warned that the public should not be fooled by any drastic change in numbers. 

“Every time we feel like we can breathe easier, and we think that maybe we’re over the worst of this, unfortunately, what we’ve seen with this virus is, we get scared back into apprehension and vigilance,” Suarez said.

The city issued stay-at-home orders on March 24, while Suarez also addressed the White House to call for flights into Miami International Airport to be suspended.

Suarez has faced challenges above just the management of the coronavirus outbreak in his city after he tested positive for the virus and was forced to self-isolate.

“I’m hoping that with the antibodies I’ve built up in my blood, we can use that to create a vaccine or help people who have a severe case [of the virus],” he said. “We’re hoping that it will be a door that opens, and a call to action.”