This morning, the City of Miami Beach hosted an emergency workshop to discuss our ongoing efforts to keep our residents and visitors safe from the Zika virus. Yesterday, in consultation with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Governor Rick Scott's Office, the Florida Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, I directed Miami-Dade County's Mosquito Control team to begin adulticide aerial spraying in the 1.5-square-mile area of Miami Beach where locally-acquired cases of Zika have been confirmed and three mosquito traps have tested positive for Zika. I announced yesterday that the spraying would begin Thursday around 5:00 a.m.

During today's meeting with the City of Miami Beach, City leadership and residents asked for more time to prepare and inform Miami Beach residents and visitors about our aerial-spraying plan. In consultation with health experts and the City of Miami Beach, we have agreed to delay aerial spraying with adulticide by one day. We will begin spraying on Friday around 5:00 a.m, weather permitting, and will spray this Sunday, and the following two weekends. This schedule will minimize disruption to our school children and families. I thank the City of Miami Beach, residents and visitors for their collaboration as we continue to do all we can to keep our community safe from the Zika virus.

To view the mosquito aerial spraying zone, click here.