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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Some Sarasota-Manatee hospitals close to capacity as coronavirus cases spike
Some hospitals in Sarasota and Manatee counties are close to full capacity as spiking coronavirus cases and an influx of seasonal visitors boost the number of patients seeking treatment. Manatee Memorial Hospital had just 19 of 331 staffed beds available Thursday and Sarasota Memorial Hospital had 10 of 764 staffed beds available, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
› ‘Tapped out’: South Florida groups feeding the hungry are running out of money
Nine months into the pandemic, Paco Vélez, who runs Feeding South Florida, is stuck on the numbers — and they don’t add up. There’s the $30 food boxes with milk and produce that the massive food bank has given out to tens of thousands of families each week. There’s the 97 meals each person in South Florida can eat per box each month, thanks to the hundreds of Feeding South Florida volunteers around Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
› Port Canaveral officials deal with COVID reality for cruising’s return
Even though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carved out a path for cruises to return to service, the growing spread of COVID-19 in the nation and world will force even more delays, Port Canaveral officials say. In the monthly meeting of the Canaveral Port Authority, port CEO Capt. John Murray laid out the harsh reality of the potential return of service to the board of commissioners.
› Jumbo Shrimp making the jump to Triple-A baseball for 2021 season
The Jumbo Shrimp, which have operated as a Jacksonville Double-A baseball franchise for 50 seasons, will make a long-awaited jump to Triple-A in 2021 after reaching a 10-year deal under terms of a new agreement with Major League Baseball, the parent club Miami Marlins announced Wednesday.
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