Surfside building collapse death toll stands at 94

Authorities said 94 deaths have now been confirmed in the past month 12-story building collapse in Surfside, Florida. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Monday that 83 victims had been identified.

Levine Cava said 22 people were potentially missing in the recovery operation, noting that the victims remain missing until identified. On Sunday, authorities said they I hope to conclude their meticulous work in the weeks to come.

Teams continued to search the remaining rubble pile, peeling off layer after layer of debris in search of bodies. The relentless search has recovered more than 14 million pounds of concrete and debris, Levine Cava said on Sunday.

Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said he was not sure when recovery operations would be completed as it remains unclear when the final body will be found.

When the recovery phase began on Wednesday, officials hoped it could be done within three weeks. In a Sunday morning interview near the site, Cominsky said it could now be as little as two weeks, based on the current pace of work.

“We are looking at a delay of 14 to 21 days,” he said, adding that the timetable remains “on a sliding scale”.

Also on Sunday, a statement by Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who assisted other local officials in Surfside after the collapse, said he and his chief of staff Isidoro Lopez had had flu-like symptoms earlier in the day. and later tested positive for COVID-19[female[feminine. The two officials are vaccinated.

“Staff and others who have been in close contact with them will be tested between today and tomorrow,” the statement said. The statement also said Diaz and Lopez would isolate and follow directions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Diaz had attended press conferences and meetings with other officials at Surfside, the Miami Herald reported. Levine Cava told reporters on Monday officials have been tested for COVID-19 and rapid tests have given negative results.

“Revolutionary” infections – of fully vaccinated individuals who contract the coronavirus – do occur, although they are very rare. An Associated Press analysis of government data in May showed that only about 1% of those cases resulted in hospitalization or death. The analysis suggested that almost all deaths from COVID-19 in the United States were recently in people who were not vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of vaccine effectiveness and an indication that deaths could be approaching zero if each eligible person receives the vaccine.

Florida health officials last week reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate than other recent weeks.