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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
216 newly reported Florida coronavirus deaths is second daily record in a row
Florida on Wednesday reported over 200 coronavirus fatalities for the first time in a daily update, with a record 216, bringing the number of state residents dead from the virus to 6,333. Wednesday’s numbers came just after Florida had set a record Tuesday with 186 reported fatalities, a day that pushed the death toll among residents past 6,000. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times.
Nearly 3,000 South Florida businesses closed due to the pandemic — some forever
Not every business is listed on the consumer review site Yelp. But of the many South Florida businesses that are, COVID-19 has claimed nearly 3,000. A total of 2,991 businesses closed in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area between March 1 and July 10, according to a report from Yelp. That number includes temporary and permanent closures. More from the Miami Herald.
Some boaters forced to wait as Florida's lobster mini-season gets underway
Florida’s two-day lobster mini-season officially got underway at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday but some boaters found it difficult to get into the water early due to curfews and marina closures in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe Counties. Miami-Dade County is still operating under the Mayor’s Executive Orders which requires marinas to open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. That means there were no boat launches at county-run marinas at midnight in the hunt for Florida’s spiny lobster. More from CBS Miami.
DeSantis seeks to get workers who tested positive back to work faster
Gov. Ron DeSantis is looking to “tweak” one of his coronavirus orders so restaurant wait staff and non-health care workers can get back on the job quicker after testing positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, his top business regulator continues to plan meetings with craft brewers and bar owners about reopening. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
One year later, state fines Fort Lauderdale over water crisis
After failing to keep up-to-date maps of its water pipes, Fort Lauderdale is now facing a sanction from the state in the form of a $19,100 fine. The problem came to light a year ago when an FPL subcontractor drilled a 6-inch hole into a main water supply line, sending the city into panic mode. Crucial water pipes nearly ran dry in mid-July, forcing hundreds of businesses to close and thousands of customers to boil their water for days. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Sports Business
Gainesville, Tallahassee businesses agree: ‘God help us all if we don’t have football'
The strain from the coronavirus pandemic has been so severe that it’s causing a rare sight: Florida and Florida State fans cheering for the same thing. “Even the Gator faithful want Florida State football to play,” said Sue Dick, the president and CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. Whether the Seminoles, Gators or anyone else can play this fall remains uncertain as the SEC and ACC consider their options; both leagues are expected to announce updated plans in the next few days.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Nature
‘A win for the Everglades’: 5,000 pythons removed in state-sponsored capture program
Florida’s fight against the invasive Burmese python has hit a new milestone: 5,000 snakes captured in the Everglades since wildlife managers started paying hunters to remove the destructive constrictors in 2017. The South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which manage the state’s python elimination programs, announced the achievement on Tuesday.
» Read more from the Miami Herald.
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