Faith leaders, Orange County officials hold virtual town hall
Joe Byrnes, WMFE Hundreds of Orlando-area faith leaders met for a virtual town hall Thursdy to consider how they can open services safely amid the pandemic. Panelists repeated the message that physical distancing, face masks, disinfection and protection of high-risk worshippers are key. More than 300 faith leaders participated. They got advice on: - The timing for Phase II (only the governor knows), - Capacity at services (just maintain six feet) and - Legal liability (ask your insurance company). Pastor Gabriel Salguero, who leads the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, offered to share the guidance they have prepared. It starts with the CDC rules and extends to practical considerations at places of worship. "The most important thing," Salguero said, "is communicate, communicate, communicate. And do it with great clarity and repetition." First Baptist Orlando has been worshiping online, but Associate Pastor Danny de Armas says coming together is important. "People are missing this more than they are the opportunity to go eat at a restaurant," he said. "And this can create such good will in the community as soon as it's safe for us to gather, with all the protocols in place." The county also offered guidelines, along with help for those seeking masks or sanitizer.
With schools closed, nonprofits offer virtual adventures — like a rare tour of a sea turtle hospital
Jessica Bakeman, WLRN It’s been two months since schools closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. South Florida museums have stepped up to help out with virtual education. Students with computers and internet access can learn about history, science and wildlife conservation — from home. Meet Citrus — a 200-pound female Loggerhead sea turtle being treated for a condition called chronic debilitation. “If you guys can see through the water there, Citrus has a really large head and a really thick neck." A staff member at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach gives a video tour of the facilities where sick sea turtles are nursed back to health. “The learners actually go into our indoor sea turtle hospital, which is otherwise off limits, and staff-only," Campbell said. Hannah Campbell is the director of education. This video is part of a series of live science instruction the center is offering daily. Museums and other attractions throughout the region are inviting kids inside virtually and offering free digital lessons to make learning from home more engaging. Campbell says the behind-the-scenes look at the sea turtle hospital lets people at home watch the healing process unfold. “People need something that is hopeful, that is going to bring them a little peace and a smile. And we call that a daily dose of vitamin C," Campbell said. Get it — like, the sea?
Coronavirus cases in Florida top 43,000 people moving into the end of the week
Danielle Prieur, WMFE Florida is reporting 43,210 coronavirus cases, 1,875 deaths and 7,749 people hospitalized with COVID-19 according to the latest numbers from the state department of health. In Orange County there are now 1,507 cases, with 282 hospitalizations. Thirty-six people have now died from COVID-19 in the county. Osceola County has 554 cases and sixteen deaths, while Polk County has 688 cases and thirty-seven deaths. In Sumter County, home of The Villages retirement community, there are 243 cases and 42 hospitalizations. Sixteen people in the county have died. Hover over the map for data from other counties.
City employees face furloughs due to the coronavirus crisis
The Associated Press
MIRAMAR, Fla. (The Miami Herald) — The continuing coronavirus pandemic is causing financial strain for many cities in Florida.
On Wednesday, the city of Miramar announced it will furlough all employees for one day each week starting on June 11 and continuing through Dec. 9.
City Manager Vernon Hargray said the measures are being taken to protect the financial stability of the city in southwestern Broward County.
In Miami Beach, the city furloughed 35 full-time employees and 258 part-time workers due to the ongoing crisis. Monroe County furloughed 61 employees in April because of lost tourism stemming from the coronavirus lockdowns.
Another 221,000 Floridians file for jobless benefits
The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Another 221,000 Floridians filed for unemployment benefits last week, even as restaurants and retail shops started re-opening with limitations for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic forced the shuttering of businesses around the state.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 221,905 new jobless claims were filed in Florida last week, up a quarter from the 174,860 claims filed the previous week.
Florida’s unemployment system has been widely criticized for its difficulty in filing claims and also for delays in getting payments.
So it’s hard to determine if weekly fluctuations are due to new cases or those cases that have finally been accepted.
AAA skips Memorial Day forecast due to coronavirus
Gina Jordan, WFSU For the first time in 20 years, the AAA Auto Club isn’t issuing a Memorial Day weekend travel forecast. AAA Spokesman Mark Jenkins blames the coronavirus. “The data that we typically collect to formulate these forecasts have been significantly undermined by COVID-19. So the reliability of those forecasts is not something we’re comfortable working in. As businesses and states begin to reopen, then we’ll be able to have a more accurate look at just how many people are going to be travelling in the coming months," Jenkins said. AAA expects the annual forecast to return next year. For now, the auto club says travelers’ confidence seems to be improving, as online bookings are slowly increasing for domestic travel.
MacDill to honor health workers with a flyover
Stephanie Colombini, WUSF Planes from MacDill Air Force Base will fly over a dozen area hospitals Friday to pay tribute to health care workers fighting the spread of the coronavirus. Colonel Benjamin Robins is Vice Commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill. "This community goes out of their way to honor our sacrifices, and it's our chance to display our gratitude to those that are protecting this community from this horrible virus," Robbins said. Two of MacDill's KC-135 Stratotankers will do the flyover. These large aircraft are normally used to refuel other planes mid-air. They're scheduled to take off at 10:30 a.m. There's a list of the hospitals they'll visit on our sister station WUSF's website.
DeSantis to extend order on foreclosures, evictions
Tom Urban, WLRN
Governor Ron DeSantis says he will extend an executive order intended to prevent foreclosures and evictions during the coronavirus pandemic. The executive order, which takes legal steps to try to prevent foreclosures and evictions, was issued April 2nd and is set to expire on Sunday. The move comes as Florida had nearly 222,000 first-time unemployment claims filed last week, according to numbers posted Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. DeSantis spoke to reporters at the capitol this week. “I think we're going to do it through the end of the month, but we'll have an announcement on that, I think, pretty soon," DeSantis said. Incoming Senate Democratic leader Gary Farmer had asked DeSantis this month to extend the order, saying many residents are not capable of paying their rent or mortgage right now due to the surge in unemployment.
Leon County considers mask requirement
Regan McCarthy, WFSU Leon County Commissioners say as more local businesses open, they’d like to see more members of the public wearing masks. But the group stopped short of making masks a requirement.
County officials say predicting what the future will look like, is nearly impossible, but many members of the commission believe taking steps to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 will likely be a long term reality--that includes wearing masks. Commissioner Kristen Dozier says she’d like to see more people in public places, including groceries stores, wearing masks. “Looking at places like Publix or Home Depot and others where a few people wear a mask, but not everybody. Some businesses have employed it and others haven’t. I would be in favor of stronger encouragement for our businesses to require masks," Dozier said. But Commissioner Nick Maddox says he’s not ready to make masks a requirement. For one thing, he says not everybody has access to a mask. It’s an issue he says neighboring Gadsden County faced when it passed a rule that residents wear masks in public spaces. “With the costs associated with masks and being able to access them. I think the County might have bought some masks and gave each commissioner a certain amount to give out within their district. It’s hard to mandate something we can’t provide. I think it’s something we can suggest and in some cases lead by example, but to mandate is going to be tough," Maddox said. Dozier says people who are searching for masks might find good sources on the Office of Economic Vitality’s website. “OEV does have a great site, or webpage on their website listing where you can get masks locally. And they list the breweries that have hand sanitizer. Those kinds of local resources so you’re not hunting around on the web to find masks, I think that is exceptionally helpful," Dozier said. County staff members say they’re using social media to encourage anyone in public to use a mask. They’re also requiring County workers to wear masks when they can’t socially distance.
Fauci says U.S. death toll is likely higher. Other COVID-19 stats need adjusting, too
Pien Huang, NPR The U.S. has the most coronavirus deaths of any country in the world — on May 11, the death toll passed 80,000. And that's likely an undercount. "Almost certainly it's higher," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a virtual Senate hearing on Tuesday. "There may have been people who died at home who were not counted as COVID because they never really got to the hospital." It's not just the death toll that's likely higher. Medical statisticians say we have been undercounting cases since the pandemic started — not only in the U.S. but also around the world. That's because in countries rich and poor and in between, people who contract COVID-19 are not necessarily diagnosed — because of the shortage of tests and the difficulty of getting tested in some parts of the world, especially remote spots. So you should keep in mind certain caveats as you consider the endless stream of numbers. Here's what we know about some of the most frequently discussed data points. Total confirmed cases What we want this to tell us: How many people have had COVID-19. What it actually tells us: How many people have tested positive for the live virus (the most common way of being diagnosed) or, in some cases, been diagnosed based on symptoms. The actual number of people who have had COVID-19 is probably higher. Caveats:
- Access to testing is limited in many parts of the world, so not everyone with COVID-19 symptoms is confirmed and counted.
- Official counts of "confirmed cases" miss people with no symptoms or mild symptoms who may not seek testing or medical care.
- The swab tests are considered to be generally reliable but aren't fail-safe. There's a margin of error from mistakes in sampling or lab processing techniques as well as from faulty tests.
Daily case counts What we want this to tell us: Is the number of new cases of COVID-19 rising or falling over time? What it tells us: How many cases are reported on each day and how that number compares with previous days. Only in areas where large numbers of people are tested regularly could the curve of daily case counts be considered a reliable marker of spread or containment. Caveats:
- Testing delays and backlogs in many countries means that a case may be reported days or weeks after a sample was taken. It can also take a few days for a confirmed case to be reported to national and global health authorities. So the number of new cases reported on a specific date may reflect both new and recent cases rather than the new case count on one specific date.
- Countries don't always use the same definition for "confirmed cases," and some have changed their criteria as the pandemic has evolved. On April 14, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began including people presumed to have COVID-19 based on symptoms in their daily tally of confirmed cases even if the individuals had not been tested. China has revised its case definitions for infected people multiple times, briefly including diagnosis by symptoms in one province, then returning to a requirement for a lab test to confirm.
Total deaths What we want this to tell us: How many people have died from COVID-19 from the start of the outbreak until now. What it tells us: How many people have died with the official cause of death listed as "COVID-19" — excluding those who died of the disease but were not identified as COVID-19 casualties. These numbers generally represent a conservative count of deaths and will likely be revised upward on review. But they are probably more accurate than case counts. "The [under]reporting issue for death numbers is less severe than case numbers, but it still exists," says Sen Pei, a public health research scientist at Columbia University. Caveats:
- As with testing, issues with varying definitions and delays in reporting also apply to deaths. In Wuhan, China, for example, where the first COVID-19 cases were discovered, the death tally jumped by 50% overnight in mid-April. WHO says this is because a review of past records found 1,290 deaths had been missed in the official count because of patients dying at home, medical staff too busy to fill out paperwork at the time and incomplete reporting from field hospitals.
Death rate for coronavirus patients What we want this to tell us: How likely are people who get COVID-19 to die from it? What it tells us: The total number of reported deaths divided by the total number of confirmed cases — both of which could be undercounts. Caveats:
- In the middle of an epidemic, the death rate changes day by day based on the number of reported cases and deaths. Death rates could decrease over time as more survivors are identified.
- It's difficult to meaningfully compare death rates across countries because of variable factors including the extent of testing and the demographics of the population (countries like Italy, which have a greater proportion of older people, have seen high death rates).
Recovery rate for coronavirus patients What we want this to tell us: How many people who have contracted COVID-19 recover. What it tells us: How many people who have been officially diagnosed with COVID-19 have kicked the virus. Caveats:
- The number of confirmed cases may be missing many people with mild cases, who tend to recover — so the total count of recovered people is probably higher.
- The definition of a recovered case varies. The World Health Organization states there should be two negative tests at least 24 hours apart while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers a symptom-based definition in places where tests are not readily available. Neither definition takes into account long-term physical and mental health effects, such as reduced lung function from scarring or memory issues from treatment drugs, especially in people who have recovered from severe cases.
Survey says: Most respondents favor requiring face masks in public
Steve Newborn, WUSF A new survey shows a majority of respondents favor requiring people to wear face masks in public. But, a large portion also says the response to the coronavirus pandemic could be worse than the disease.
The Sunshine State Survey was done by the University of South Florida and Nielsen. USF Assistant Professor Joshua Scacco says one of the big surprises is nearly eight in 10 people support the state requiring the use of face masks. "We've all seen, either in social media or in the news, individuals complaining or screaming or protesting about wearing face masks or businesses closing, those types of things. And what we've seen is widespread support among the individuals we surveyed for face masks," Scacco said. But Scacco also says that 4 in 10 of those polled agree that public reaction to the pandemic will do more harm than the disease itself. That could include everything from panic buying in grocery stores to the impact on the economy.
Castor outlines how 'HEROES' Act could help Florida
Stephanie Colombini, Health News Florida Florida would get billions of dollars for coronavirus relief through a new federal aid package known as the "HEROES Act." The House is expected to vote on the bill Friday. Tampa Congresswoman Kathy Castor says the money is meant to prevent major budget cuts at the state and local level as the pandemic is forcing governments to spend their reserves and preventing them from collecting much-needed tax dollars.
"So that they can keep teachers at work, they can keep first responders and others on the front lines on-task, because right now with significant lost revenue, they are in danger of losing their jobs," Castor said. Castor says the first payment of 12 billion dollars would be issued within a month of implementing the legislation. Florida would get another 14 billion dollars next spring. Governor Ron DeSantis has said he won't make a decision on the state budget until he gets a better sense of what federal assistance is coming. The HEROES Act faces opposition from Republicans in Congress.
Miami officials break up homeless encampment, drawing a rebuke from county
Daniel Rivero, WLRN City of Miami officials broke up a homeless encampment in the Overtown neighborhood Wednesday. It’s a move that drew a rare rebuke from the county, and is in violation of Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
Officials at the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust say they had no knowledge that Miami officials were going to break up the camp, and that they would not have participated if they did. Chairman Ron Book told WLRN that the move clearly violated CDC guidelines about how to treat homeless camps during a pandemic. Those guidelines hold that breaking up camps -- can actually be worse for public safety than leaving them in place. That’s because the people can spread to other areas of the city and -- lose contact with essential services. The city of Miami did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Coronavirus crashes high-flying Keys hotel industry
Nancy Klingener, WLRN The hotel industry in the Florida Keys normally leads the state in occupancy and room rates this time of year. But, the coronavirus has changed everything. Last May hotels in the Keys had an occupancy rate of almost 80 percent. And they were getting more than $350 dollars a room on average. Those numbers were climbing even higher this year — until the coronavirus came along. The Keys closed to visitors on March 22nd and there's a checkpoint at the county line. Only people who live, own property or work in the Keys are allowed in. The latest reports from the county's Tourist Development Council show the impact - for the first full week of May, the hotels are at 6 percent occupancy. That's right - 6 percent. Who is staying in Keys hotels? Essential workers like construction crews, health care workers who are isolating from family - and locals getting their homes tented for termites. Renting rooms requires special permission from Monroe County or the city where the hotel is.
VIDEO: 3 tips to make your face mask more effective
Maria Godoy, NPR [embed]https://youtu.be/r7ywjj6mJGk[/embed] Cloth masks do a good job at keeping in large respiratory droplets that can spread a disease like COVID-19 — the kind of droplets you spit out when coughing or talking. That's why in April the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised "the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others." But there's another possible benefit to wearing a mask: protecting yourself from droplets. But masks, both homemade and made by vendors, vary in how good they are at keeping out pathogens. If you're looking to boost your mask's ability to filter out small particles, we've got three tips from researchers who've been testing mask materials in light of the pandemic — including a hack that involves a pair of pantyhose.
School district superintendents want specific guidance from state on how to reopen
Ryan Dailey, WFSU The call for defined guidelines from the state on what next steps will be needed to reopen schools are now coming from school superintendents. The Florida Association of District School Superintendents wants specific guidance on things like student-to-teacher ratio, what to do for large gatherings like lunch and recess, and how many students can ride buses at one time. It also wants a list of personal protective items that must be in each classroom. Michael Grego is superintendent for Pinellas County Schools, and is on the Association’s board of directors. He discussed the organization’s request during Wednesday's state Board of Education meeting.
"We know there is still a tremendous amount of uncertainty, but having statewide parameters and conditions allows the districts, then, to truly plan for local context," Grego said. The group is also urging all districts to create “K-12 pandemic response teams,” including healthcare professionals, to make recommendations tailored to local needs. Statewide prerequisites for schools to reopen is something Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran called for as a part of Governor Ron DeSantis' Reopen Florida Task Force.
Democrats call on DeSantis to use federal election safety money
Blaise Gainey, WFSU Democrats in Florida are calling on Governor Ron DeSantis to accept funds from the federal government earmarked for safe and sanitary election costs. Florida is one of six states that hasn’t requested the election safety funds made available through the CARES Act. Congresswoman Donna Shalala says there are plenty of ways Florida could use the money.
“We should be expanding programs like vote by mail so people can vote in the safety of their own home. Florida should also expand early voting to make voting easier and secure social distancing at polling places," Shalala said. Fort Lauderdale Democratic Senator Gary Farmer believes the state should send vote-by-mail ballots to all eligible voters to incentivize social distancing and support voter participation. Florida is eligible for 20 million dollars of the 400 million set aside for election safety in the CARES Act.
DeSantis wants to safely reopen long-term care facilities
Robbie Gaffney, WFSU It’s been almost nine weeks since Florida barred families and visitors from going into nursing homes. The order by Governor Ron DeSantis was meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. Now, DeSantis says he wants to find a way to safely reopen nursing homes and assisted living facilities to visitors. “I’m not going to sign off unless I’m convinced it’s going to be safe but I don’t think we can just say no, I think we have a responsibility to try. Now that may be requiring PPE. Maybe it requires a rapid test. That will all be determined," DeSantis said. DeSantis hasn’t announced when he’ll lift the ban. In the meantime, he says the state is working to protect vulnerable seniors from the coronavirus by maintaining screening requirements and ensuring masks and gloves are available for staff members.
DeSantis wants teams to restart games in Florida
Tom Urban, WLRN Governor Ron DeSantis says it’s time for professional sports teams to play ball again in Florida. DeSantis, who is still rolling out the first phase of the state’s economic recovery effort amid the coronavirus pandemic, said Wednesday he will lift restrictions so teams would be welcome to train and play games in empty stadiums in Florida. His comments came after the Washington Post reported that Major League Soccer is looking to house players in large resorts near Disney World as a way for games to resume for all 26 teams in Orlando. “We want to have you here. We want to have basketball practicing again. We would love to have Major League Baseball. And I think the message is that our people are starved to have some of this back in their lives," DeSantis said. Major League Baseball owners and the players union are also in talks over an owners’ proposal for an 82-game season starting in early July, with games played in home stadiums in areas that have local and state government approval. DeSantis earlier declared wrestling giant WWE an essential business so it could tape events in Orlando during the pandemic. Also, Ultimate Fighting Championship is holding bouts in Jacksonville.
Clearwater gets ready for Memorial Day Weekend
Bradley George, WUSF Clearwater’s mayor says he’s expecting a busy Memorial Day weekend, as more people chose to vacation at home. Frank Hibbard says hotels on Clearwater Beach are taking precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “There is an innkeepers' group that meets on Clearwater Beach and they really share best practices together. What helps one helps all. They really want to be kind of the benchmark for a destination," Hibbard said. Some hotels have installed ultraviolet lights to clean air and are trying to minimize contact between employees and guests. Hibbard says most hotels have remained open through the pandemic, but a number closed voluntarily due to a lack of guests. The Wyndham Grand will reopen next week.
Pregnancy during the coronavirus pandemic
Daylina Miller, Health News Florida
Pregnancy is supposed to be a magical time for mothers and their families. But it can also be scary, and the coronavirus is making it more so. More than 40,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Florida. Many have died. But amid the sickness and uncertainty, life goes on. And new life begins. Robyn Odegard is 37 weeks pregnant. "Becoming a mom for the first time is this incredible, magical, scary, life-changing experience right in and of itself. There's a lot of feelings of confusion, love, isolation, loneliness, fear, but love, love, love, right, around becoming a mother and then just just throw it into a pandemic," Odegard said. Odegard had imagined this pregnancy for years, building it up in her head. And then the shelter-at-home orders started. The first time her husband was supposed to hear the baby's heartbeat, he wasn't allowed to be at her appointment. Clinics and hospitals are limiting how many people are in the building. She recorded it on her phone. "I feel bad for him because he missed out on that and there's nothing he could do. He I think he felt helpless in that moment. And it broke my heart," Odegard said. And when Odegard found out she had gestational diabetes, she was devastated he couldn't be at her next appointment to help her process it. So the diabetes specialist made it happen another way. "So she said, 'You know, we're going to do this appointment outside it's a beautiful day.' So we went into a courtyard at Tampa General Hospital, and had an hour-long day, gestational diabetes, educational consult on a park bench," Odegard said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s not yet known if pregnant people are more likely to be seriously ill with COVID-19. But pregnant people do have higher risk of severe illness with other viral respiratory infections, such as the flu. Doctor Judette Louis is an obstetrician at Tampa General Hospital - and she has a degree in epidemiology. She says hospitals are adjusting their protocols often. "We're literally making it up as we go along, trying to use the best information that we have. And that's very scary for us and certainly very scary for the patients," Louis said. Cleaning has been ramped up. Health care providers are wearing more personal protective equipment, although sometimes that equipment is reused because of shortages. Pregnant women are often given separate entrances from other patients. Some appointments prior to birth have been moved to a telehealth format. And everyone who is admitted to TGH including pregnant people - are tested for the coronavirus. HCA Hospitals are testing everyone, too. Still, some mothers are worried and they’re switching last minute to birth centers or opting for in-home births. Doctor Reut Bardach delivers babies at the Medical Center of Trinity in Pasco County. She says hospitals are still safe places to give birth. "There is no scenario where I would say I feel like a patient is safer at home than at a hospital, including during this pandemic," Bardach said. The CDC says mother-to-child transmission of coronavirus during pregnancy is unlikely, but after birth a newborn is susceptible to person-to-person spread. The virus has not been detected in amniotic fluid or breast milk - and new mothers are encouraged to breastfeed after washing their hands and breasts - and while wearing a mask. Cori Lynn Duarte is a certified midwife at Labor of Love Birth Center in Lutz. She's also 34 weeks pregnant. Her biggest concern for mothers is their mental health. She says depression was already an issue in the pre-pendamic world and social isolation will exacerbate it. "It takes a village to raise a baby. And in those first days and weeks in the fourth trimester, after you have a baby, if you don't have the support, the statistics are so much higher that you'll suffer from postpartum depression," Duarte said. She hopes people take advantage of Facebook support groups and online therapy. Robyn Odegard is already planning ways to confront the baby blues with a virtual meet and greet after her baby is born next month. "We'll just have to tell our baby. 'Hey, this was a weird time. We did this. We laughed. We had fun with our family. But we did it over the internet'," Odegard said. Odegard says she already grieved the loss of her expectations about what pregnancy should be like. Now she's making time to feel gratitude for the technology that allows her to feel a little closer to her friends and loved ones inside the safety of her home.
AGs in 14 states to Trump: Let's hold China accountable
The Associated Press Tallahassee, Fla. (AP) — Republican attorneys general in 14 states are asking President Donald Trump to form a federal/state partnership to hold China accountable for the spread of coronavirus. The letter sent Wednesday calls for state and federal governments to seek legal remedies for the cost the virus has had on economies and human life. The effort is being led by the Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
NBA now up to 10 teams back for voluntary workouts
The Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is now one-third of the way back, at least in terms of voluntary workouts. With Miami re-opening its doors Wednesday, 10 of the league’s 30 teams have gone forward with on-court individual workouts.
These are the first permitted sessions since the league ordered teams to close their training facilities as part of the coronavirus pandemic response about two months ago.
Other teams that have opened so far are Portland, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Denver, Atlanta, Indiana, Sacramento, Toronto and Utah. More are expected in the coming days.
Click here to read more of WMFE’s reporting on the coronavirus pandemic.
