Crisis

Florida Unemployment Levels Break More Records  More than 505,000 first-time claims were made during the week ending on April 18, breaking the previous record set during the week ending on March 28. According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Florida’s increase in claims was larger than any other state. Of those applying for unemployment benefits between…

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Sets Target Date for Florida to Relax Social Distancing Restrictions  The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has set target dates for every state as to when social distancing restrictions can be released. These estimates are based on assumptions that a certain level of…

Governor DeSantis’ Task Force to Reopen Economy Meets   Governor DeSantis’ task force to reopen Florida’s economy met via conference call yesterday. The task force will oversee three working groups, ranging from low-risk industries (i.e. finance and government) to high-risk industries (i.e., restaurants and tourism). The task force identified testing as “key” to reopening Florida businesses.  Hillsborough County…

Governor DeSantis Planning for Phase Two of State COVID-19 Response  Governor DeSantis has announced he is working on a plan to launch phase two of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which he hopes to announce next week. Particularly, DeSantis has stated that he is looking to update protocols for restaurants and large events and increase testing.  Economic…

Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program Out of Funds  The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, which had a $349 billion budget, has disseminated all of its funds. Over a million loans were approved through the program. The SBA has announced that no new applications will be accepted and no new lenders will be enrolled. This program…

Most Daily COVID-19 Deaths in Florida Yesterday  Yesterday was the deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic so far in Florida, while also being the day with the smallest daily increase of new cases. 72 new deaths were reported yesterday. Total cases in the state are now over 22,000.  Airports Will Receive Financial Assistance  The Federal Aviation Administration is disseminating $896…

Florida Surgeon General: Social Distancing Could Continue for Another Year  At yesterday’s cabinet coronavirus meeting, Florida Department of Health Secretary and Surgeon General Scott Rivkees told reporters to expect continued social distancing measures until a vaccine against coronavirus is approved, which could take “probably a year if not longer”. Rivkees was removed from the meeting by the Governor’s Communications Director, Helen…

I-4 Construction to Accelerate   On Saturday, Governor DeSantis and Department of Transportation Secretary Thibault announced that construction on I-4 will be accelerated by 1-2 months. The $2.3 billion 21-mile project is over 250 days behind schedule, but is expected to be completed in late 2021. As a result of this, expect additional…

Status of Florida Schools Uncertain  Florida schools may remain closed through the rest of the semester, though some counties may allow students to return on campuses before others. With schools set to remain closed until May 1, Governor DeSantis has not definitively decided how long remote learning will last. Yesterday, DeSantis commented: “if we get to the point where people think…