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Florida: coronavirus hospitalizations down, deaths up

Published

6 years ago

August 6, 2020

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — During a Tuesday round table at a nursing home in Jacksonville, Gov. Ron DeSantis returned to a familiar theme: protecting the state’s most vulnerable from the coronavirus.

The governor said he was looking for “a pathway to get families access” to the 1.5 million loved ones who are finding themselves socially and emotionally isolated in nursing homes and senior facilities.

“Four and a half months are a long, long time,” the governor said.

Though Florida has managed to bring down the proportion of pandemic deaths stemming from nursing homes by keeping them on lockdown and other measures since March, infections have been surging in those facilities alongside community spread throughout the state this summer. The number of residents of long-term care facilities in the state testing positive for COVID-19 was around 5,800 as of Tuesday, roughly double that of early July.

DeSantis stressed the need for those living in facilities to have contact with families, and lauded a Jacksonville woman who took a job as a dishwasher at a nursing home so she could have contact with her husband, an early-onset Alzheimer’s disease patient who lives in the home.

Nursing home staff statewide are required to be tested every two weeks, and the governor seemed to suggest that he would be open to reopening nursing homes for family visits with greater availability of rapid testing that can provide test results within minutes.

But the governor also seemed to suggest that there was a more immediate urgency to reopening facilities.

“Testing is obviously important,” he said. “Do not only fixate on testing. You’ve got to think of other ways.”

“Look, I’m comfortable with the PPE,” the governor said, referring to personal protection equipment like face masks. “Hell, hug ’em. I mean come on. If you have PPE on, and you hug and you don’t sneeze or don’t do something on ’em, you’re going to be fine.”

The state has purchased about 1,400 animatronic pets to help give comfort to seniors residing at such facilities.

“It’s very calming when you sort of hand these pets over, which look and feel like a real pet. You actually feel a heartbeat, and they meow and they bark,” said Richard Prudom, the Secretary for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.

Another institutional setting is also a concern for health officials: jails and prisons. Some facilities have stopped accepting new prisoners in hopes to avoid further overcrowding and to manage the spread of the virus raging inside.

Miami Dade Corrections spokesman Juan Diasgranados said Tuesday that Jairo Bravo, a 48-year-old corrections officer, died Saturday from Covid. Officials say there are 238 Miami-Dade correctional employees who are positive and at home in isolation, and 243 in-custody inmates who tested positive and in isolation.

On Florida’s Panhandle, a man who worked for 25 years at Jackson Correctional Institution in Malone, died of Covid an hour after his wife. Wayne Rogers, 65, and Lauri Rogers, 61, died Friday. They lived in nearby Rehobeth, Alabama.

At least two other correctional officers in Florida have died from the virus.

Florida’s tally of deaths from the new coronavirus surged Tuesday while hospitalizations for the disease declined for the second week in a row, according to information released by the state.

Florida reported 245 new deaths Tuesday, bringing its seven-day average in daily reported deaths to 184 — its highest rate yet and just behind Texas for the past week with 186. They compare with more than 760 in average daily deaths for New York at its peak in mid-April.

The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals statewide continued a nearly two-week downward trajectory, with 7,797 patients in the late morning Tuesday, from 7,991 the day before and down from highs of more than 9,500 about two weeks ago, said the DOH.

Also, for the 10th day in a row, there were fewer than 10,000 newly recorded cases, with only 5,446 positive results reported in a 24-hour period. Whether these numbers reflect a sustained downward trend won’t be clear until fresh results are reported, because many large testing sites were closed over the weekend and into Monday due to Tropical Storm Isaias. Those sites have since reopened.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Florida is just shy of 500,000, and more than 7,500 have died.

Florida

Byron Donalds Courts Latino Voters in Kissimmee as Florida Governor Campaign Expands

Published

2 weeks ago

June 8, 2026

Willie David

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds continued his campaign for governor by engaging Latino voters during a stop on his “Defending the Florida Dream” tour in Kissimmee, where he shared his vision for Florida’s future and discussed key issues impacting Hispanic communities.

Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News

Florida National News was on hand to capture the event as Donalds met with supporters and community leaders while emphasizing economic opportunity, education, public safety, and preserving what he described as the “Florida Dream.”

Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News

Latinos for Byron Coalition Launch

The Kissimmee event follows Donalds’ May 2026 launch of the Latinos for Byron Coalition, a statewide effort designed to strengthen support among Hispanic voters ahead of Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

The Trump-endorsed congressman announced the coalition during a rally at Hialeah Park in Miami-Dade County, drawing approximately 300 supporters. Many attendees waved American and Cuban flags as Donalds outlined his vision for Florida and highlighted the growing influence of Latino voters in state politics.

Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News

Republican Leaders Show Support

Joining Donalds at the Hialeah event were several Republican elected officials, including Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, the city’s youngest mayor and a lifelong resident. State leaders in attendance included Sen. Bryan Avila and Reps. Juan Porras, David Borrero, and Alex Rizo.

Donalds said Hispanic communities play a vital role in Florida’s economy, culture, and future, and he pledged to continue policies focused on economic growth, educational excellence, and public safety.

Building a Statewide Coalition

The Defending the Florida Dream tour is expected to continue across Florida as Donalds works to build a broad coalition of supporters ahead of the 2026 election cycle. His campaign has placed a particular emphasis on engaging Hispanic voters, who represent one of the fastest-growing and most influential voting blocs in the state.

As the gubernatorial race develops, Latino outreach efforts are expected to play a significant role in shaping the Republican primary and the general election.

Florida National News will continue to follow the Defending the Florida Dream tour and provide updates from campaign stops across the state.

North Florida News

Gov. Ron DeSantis Names Alex Peraza to Miami-Dade Judicial Nominating Commission

Published

3 months ago

March 13, 2026

Willie David

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Ron DeSantis announced Friday the appointment of Alex Peraza to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, which serves Miami-Dade County.

Peraza, of Coral Gables, is a partner at Diamond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A., a law firm based in South Florida.

The Judicial Nominating Commission is responsible for reviewing and recommending qualified candidates for judicial appointments within the circuit.

Peraza earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and his juris doctor from the University of Florida. His appointment term will run through July 1, 2027.

Florida

Advocates Oppose Florida Medicaid Work Reporting Bill, Cite “Deathbed Exemption” and Coverage Gap Risks

Published

4 months ago

March 2, 2026

FNN NEWS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — A Florida Senate committee on Monday advanced SB 1758, legislation that would impose Medicaid work reporting requirements in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates say the proposal would push thousands of low-income Floridians into the state’s existing coverage gap and create new administrative barriers for people with serious illnesses.

The bill goes beyond the recently passed federal measure, H.R. 1 — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which exempts non-expansion states from federal Medicaid work reporting requirements. Critics argue Florida lawmakers are moving forward despite that exemption.

Bill Would Add Work Reporting and “Deathbed Exemption”

SB 1758 would require certain Medicaid recipients to document at least 80 hours per month of work or qualifying activities to maintain coverage. The bill includes exemptions, including a recently added provision that would exempt terminally ill parents only if they can prove a life expectancy of six months or less.

Sadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, said the amendment would require a single mother who is terminally ill and earning less than $8,000 a year to meet monthly work reporting requirements unless she can demonstrate a six-month prognosis.

“It is hard to grasp how we arrived at a policy that effectively asks someone facing the end of their life to prove they are dying quickly enough to keep their Medicaid,” Knight said.

Opponents say the proposal would increase administrative costs while stripping coverage from residents who are already working or unable to work due to caregiving responsibilities or medical conditions.

Advocates Warn of Coverage Gap, Legal and Fiscal Risks

Florida is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid, leaving an estimated 260,000 residents in the coverage gap — earning too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to receive federal marketplace subsidies.

More than two dozen organizations signed a letter urging members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject the bill. Signatories include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Southern Poverty Law Center, UnidosUS, The AIDS Institute, Florida Policy Institute, Florida Voices for Health and 1199SEIU.

Melanie Williams of Florida Health Justice Project called the bill “fiscally reckless,” noting that the state has already spent $1 million defending wrongful Medicaid terminations in federal court and that the Department of Children and Families has reported budget constraints in addressing court-mandated changes.

Rachel Klein of The AIDS Institute said federal law prohibits non-expansion states from implementing Medicaid work requirements and warned the measure could face legal challenges. Others argued the costs of building a new reporting system would outweigh any potential savings.

Advocates say the Legislature should focus instead on expanding access to affordable coverage amid rising health care costs and expiring enhanced premium tax credits.