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With the COVID-19 Omicron variant spreading through our community this holiday season, I want to take a moment to update Miami-Dade residents on the steps we are taking to keep our recovery on track and ensure a safe holiday season for all our families.
While we all need to stay vigilant and informed about the spread of the new variant, it’s important to note that we are in a much stronger position than we were this time last year – with more tools at our disposal to manage the surge and protect lives and livelihoods. And this month I announced an additional series of measures we’re taking to make sure we are as prepared and proactive as possible in fighting Omicron.
The first and most important tool is getting vaccinated and boosted – it’s safe, effective, convenient and free. Recent data shows that the booster significantly increases antibodies that fight off Omicron, and getting vaccinated and boosted when you are eligible is the single best thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones. At the same time, local hospital data shows that the majority of those ending up hospitalized from COVID are not vaccinated. If you have not received either your initial or booster dose, please make it a priority to get your shot as soon as possible.
Getting tested when you have symptoms or have been exposed is also key, and in recent days we’ve seen an over 200% surge in demand at County testing sites. Miami-Dade County has moved quickly to meet this demand to ensure we can continue to make testing widely accessible. We are expanding hours of operation and adding new locations, including three new sites just this week and moving to a 24/7 operation at Zoo Miami. Find the testing site nearest you: miamidade.gov/covid. We have also distributed hundreds of thousands of take-home rapid test kits to residents at public libraries as we work to meet the increase in demand.
We also know that masking around large crowds and especially those we don’t know to be vaccinated is a powerful tool to prevent the spread. Given the rapid recent rise in cases, we are once again requiring masking in County buildings to protect our residents, workforce, and visitors. Every day, tens of thousands of residents access County buildings, including vulnerable older adults and frontline workers, and taking this extra step is a common-sense measure that will reduce transmission especially around the holidays.
Finally, we are working hard to provide additional treatment options to all residents who may need them. We are facing a statewide shortage of monoclonal antibody treatment, and I sent a letter to the Florida Department of Health requesting Miami-Dade County be prioritized in any additional shipments of monoclonal antibody treatments; we also asked the federal government to allocate additional resources to Florida as quickly as possible. We are
I know how frustrating it can feel that we’re facing these challenges all over again. But as a county and a nation, we know what we need to do to get through this moment safely together. Thanks to our extraordinary efforts as a community, working hand in hand with residents and with our businesses to get shots in arms, we achieved the highest vaccination rate in the state and beat back the Delta variant. I know that by continuing to work together, we’ll come through this surge and enter the New Year stronger than ever.
