Study: Fleeing storm would spread virus
Hurricane evacuees could cause case surge
South Florida residents fleeing the path of a powerful hurricane would almost certainly cause a spike in coronavirus infections across the state and beyond, according to a new study.
And decisions made during a hurricane evacuation could mean a difference of tens of thousands of new COVID-19 cases.
The study, conducted by scientists with the Union of Concerned Scientists and Columbia University, examines how four South Florida counties that are hotspots for coronavirus — Miami Dade, Palm Beach,
Monroe and Broward — would influence the spread of COVID-19 should a Category 3 hurricane hit the area and force some residents to flee to safer regions.
With the rest of the 2020 hurricane season forecast to break records, the study sheds light on the daunting task of managing two major public emergencies at the same time.
Scientists ran simulations of possible evacuation routes to determine how the spread of coronavirus would be affected by the fleeing of 2.3 million people from a hurricane.
“In every scenario we analyzed, hurricane evacuations cause an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases,” said Kristy Dahl, a senior climate scientist for the
Many South Florida residents evacuated as Hurricane Irma approached in
25.
South Florida
South Florida, which accounts for 29% of Florida’s population, reported 1,563 new cases in the past day, or 47.5% of the daily total for the state.
Broward County: 436 new coronavirus cases were reported Sunday, bringing the total to 66,447. The median age of residents infected in the county is 39. A total of 980 residents in Broward have died from the virus, 40 more than reported Saturday.
Palm Beach County: 227 new cases, bringing the total to 39,129. A total of 992 residents have died, three more than reported the previous day. The median age of those infected in the county is 41.
Miami-Dade County: 900 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 145,307. A total of 2,057 residents have died. That’s 10 more than reported Saturday. The median age of those infected in the county is 43.
Global view
Worldwide: The novel coronavirus has infected almost 21.5 million people and has killed at least 772,400 worldwide as of about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.
U.S.: The United States has over 5.3 million cases, the highest total in the world, and at least 169,754 people are dead, the most fatalities of any country. The U.S. has 4.3% of the world’s population, but 25.1% of the world’s cases and 22% of the world’s deaths.
Other countries with high COVID-19 death tolls are Brazil with over 107,200 victims, Mexico with over 56,500, the United Kingdom with almost 46,700, India with over 49,800, and Italy with over 35,300.