Does our government have what it takes to get Florida’s economy open again?

Everyone in America has the same question: When will life be back to normal? The answer, experts say, is unsatisfying, with the timeline obscured by the country’s inability to catch up to the coronavirus’ spread. Health specialists and economists are calling for an enormous surge in testing capacity. They also urge a similar increase in the number of people dedicated to contact tracing — the tracking and isolating of cases of COVID-19 — before the economy can be reopened safely. There’s little evidence the country is ready or able to immediately implement those measures. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

See also:
» Florida should social distance until a vaccine exists — even if it’s next year, surgeon general says

Florida DEO awards $49 million for more than 1,000 small business bridge loans

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced more than 1,000 small businesses have been awarded more than $49 million from the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan. The bridge loan program, managed by DEO, provides short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury from COVID-19. Additionally, DEO announced the availability of business resources to help businesses recovering from the economic impacts resulting from COVID-19. [Source: Florida Daily]

Endangered Florida panthers filmed fighting for the first time

Brawls over territory are the second-leading cause of death for Florida panthers but until now had never been captured on camera. “I have not seen footage like this before, and it helps us to visualize what happens in an aggressive encounter,” says Darrell Land, the Florida panther team leader with the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. [Source: National Geographic]

AutoNation CEO and president takes leave of absence

AutoNation’s CEO Cheryl Miller, the first woman to take the helm of publicly traded auto retailer, has taken a leave of absence for unspecified health reasons, the Fort Lauderdale-based company said Monday. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said Mike Jackson, the chairman, would temporarily take over the posts of chief executive and president. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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'Hurricane season isn't all that far away': Shopping for pandemic could be early prep for hurricane season

Shopping for two weeks worth of supplies at a time may stay trendy in Florida because hurricane season is on the way. And although it doesn't start until June 1, many of the same items you've been stocking up will be useful through the storm season. There are two lists, one from the Florida Department of Health for the COVID-19 virus and the second is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, for hurricane season. [Source: Naples Daily News]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› FSU Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship announces new collaborative master's programs [Florida Trend]
The Florida State University Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship announced the launch of two new graduate degree programs this week. Beginning this fall, the college will offer a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (MSE) degree in Product Development and a Master of Science in Hospitality Entrepreneurship degree in conjunction with the Dedman School of Hospitality.

› Farmworkers appeal for field hospital in Immokalee [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
With unharvested Florida vegetables rotting because of plummeting demand, a petition initiated by organized farmworkers is appealing to Gov. Ron DeSantis to establish a field hospital in rural Immokalee before the coronavirus can sweep their ranks and potentially disrupt the food-supply chain.

› Sailing school finds new ways to connect with community [Business Observer]
With no customers during the coronavirus pandemic, Offshore Sailing School, which operates four sailing training schools in the region and two more in the British Virgin Islands, has turned to a new resource: videos. The school’s founders, Steve and Doris Colgate, are producing self-made videos from their home on the Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida, according to a press release.

› A Palm Beach businessman made $7.7 million over 8 years, but neither he nor his business paid taxes [Miami Herald]
A Palm Beach County businessman made enough money from 1999 to 2014 to pay cash for a $1.6 million home on the Intracoastal Waterway, buy a yacht and pay for a New York City relative’s condominium fees. What Dusko Bruer didn’t pay were personal income taxes or corporate income taxes.

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› Florida restaurant files class action seeking virus cover [Business Insurance]
A Florida restaurant on Thursday sued insurers at Lloyd’s of London in federal court for coronavirus-related business interruption coverage in a suit filed seeking class action status. The suit filed by El Novillo Restaurant, which has branches in Hialeah, Florida, and Miami, is one of more than a dozen suits filed by commercial policyholders over the past month seeking declaratory rulings that their business interruption policies cover government-ordered shutdowns of their operations.

› Central Florida companies shift gears to produce hand sanitizer, PPE [Orlando Sentinel]
Two months ago, whiskey-maker Jose Luis Aponte was expecting a boom in business for his Black Ox bourbon and other liquors crafted at his Apopka distillery. Then came COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. “The liquor business kind of dried up quick," said Aponte, 30, owner of JLA Distillery, founded in 2015 in Orlando.

› Arne Wilhelmsen, a founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises, dies at 90 [Miami Herald]
Arne Wilhelmsen, a founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., died Saturday in Palma, Spain. He was 90. Wilhelmsen, a native of Norway, began working for his family’s shipping business, Anders Wilhelmsen & Co AS, in 1954, after graduating from Harvard Business School. He became the company’s president in 1961.

› Employees take on food sorting, distribution for nonprofit [Business Observer]
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, All Faiths Food Bank has had to make significant changes to its operations. According to a press release, the Sarasota-based nonprofit has placed a temporary hold on group volunteers. A small group of long-time volunteers are still assisting the organization.