SHARE:
Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
‘Leading indicators of a resurgence’: COVID-19 numbers trending up since reopening
As bars, gyms, vacation rentals and movie theaters reopened at partial capacity last week in all but three South Florida counties, the number and rate of new COVID-19 cases were rising statewide — a troubling indicator that the disease could be spreading more quickly. The 64 counties that moved into the second phase of reopening on June 5 saw a near 42 percent increase in new cases the week before that could not be explained by increased testing alone, according to an analysis of the Florida health department’s case data. More from the Miami Herald.
See also:
» Floridians flattened the COVID curve. Then, amid upbeat talk, the numbers began to rise
» Coronavirus ‘not contained in any way, shape or form.’ Florida case count continues to soar
» As Florida reopens, how are we doing? These are the numbers to watch
» When will Florida enter phase 3 and what will it include?
Florida Valencia orange production is down 5%
The USDA has released their June citrus forecast for Florida. The Florida all orange production is down 3% from May. Broken down, the Florida Valencia orange production is down 5%, while the Florida non-Valencia orange production remains unchanged. All grapefruit production is down slightly, and all Florida tangerine and tangelo forecasts remain unchanged. More from Fresh Plaza.
Meet the first all-female Air Force launch weather team who will work SpaceX Starlink launch
When SpaceX launches its ninth batch of Starlink communications satellites early Saturday morning, there will be a group of weather officers on the ground making sure everything is good to go for launch, just like for every launch from the Space Coast. But for the first time, the weather officers from the 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron working this launch are all women. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Faithful SeaWorld fans line up to return to theme park; can company rebound from pandemic?
A successful reopening is vitally important for Orlando-based SeaWorld. It has been struggling for years amid declining attendance as competitors Disney and Universal forged further ahead with billion-dollar investments and the company battled controversies, including the death of a trainer caused by one of its whales. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Enterprise Florida bumps spending amid job losses
Florida’s business-recruitment agency approved a spending plan Thursday that will increase funding for international marketing as officials try to revive the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an online meeting, the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors voted without opposition to support a $23.1 million spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1, up from nearly $21.3 million in the current year. More from WJXT.
Ad Business
Ad agency makes quick course correction for aquarium campaign
After Tampa-based Dunn & Co. became the agency of record for the Florida Aquarium in October 2019, it drew up a marketing campaign called “Live in the Current." It focused on the aquarium's upcoming 25th anniversary celebration in 2020. As we’re all too aware now, 2020 has turned out to be more bizarre than anyone could have predicted, and so Dunn & Co., led by Vice President of Strategy Kamden Kuhn, went back to work. Its revised campaign for the aquarium, dubbed “Rejoin the Current,” focuses on renewing interest in — and attendance at — the tourist attraction now that it’s reopened in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown.
» More from the Business Observer.
Business Profile
Kalera's hydroponic ‘Green' lettuce is a hit
In 2018, the Eco Convergence Group opened a 2,000-sq.-ft. vertical, hydroponic lettuce operation inside an 18-foot tall glass cube called the HyCube at the Orlando World Center Marriott, the largest Marriott in the world. The “pick-to-plate” produce dazzled Marriott’s patrons. It also caught the eye of venture capitalists, and following a $3.1-million round of funding, the company — renamed Kalera — opened a 35,000-sq.-ft. indoor farming facility near Orlando International Airport, where it will grow millions of heads of lettuce per year.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
In case you missed it:
