As Florida weighs reopening, public invited to chime in through online portal

Florida officials opened an online portal Saturday for the public to weigh in on reopening the state amid the coronavirus outbreak that has now shuttered schools and businesses for more than a month. In making the announcement, the governor's office said “public feedback will be a critical component” in the work of the Re-Open Florida Task Force, a panel charged by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help guide him in deciding whether to lift certain restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the virus. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

See also:
» Re-opening Florida will start with ‘a very small step,’ DeSantis says
» ‘I’m not in a rush.’ DeSantis says no theaters or sports venues yet. Florida will reopen in phases

Florida marijuana dispensaries buck national trend with sustained sales spike

Medical marijuana sales surged nationwide during the first few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, but have tailed off since mid-March, according to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics. Not so in Florida, where the state’s 239 dispensaries, including three scheduled to open Monday to coincide with since-canceled “4/20” celebrations nationwide, are experiencing sustained brisk sales. [Source: The Center Square]

SpaceX already prepping for next crew mission to ISS ahead of May test run

SpaceX is already looking past next month’s planned landmark mission of its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. Currently slated for May 27, the mission from Kennedy Space Center will be the first time astronauts will launch from the United States on any mission since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Theme parks’ post-pandemic world: 5 changes to expect

Change is barreling toward Orlando’s theme parks and attractions, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Adjustments will be made in many ways — perhaps in every way — experts and analysts say. Visitors should brace themselves for alterations, for example, in how to buy admission tickets, for spread-out seating arrangements aboard park rides and in restaurants, and in just how we wait, they say. In short, expect less touching. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida insurance chief: Pandemics not covered under most business interruption policies

Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier delivered some good news and some bad news Friday to business leaders planning the state’s post-pandemic recovery. The good news, he said, is businesses may not see employee health insurance premiums increase because, with the health care system almost exclusively focused on combating COVID-19, insurers are seeing fewer claims in other areas. The bad news is financial losses attributed to pandemics are not are covered under most “business interruption policies." [Source: The Center Square]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Supersonic aircraft facility, 675 high-paying jobs coming to Space Coast [Click Orlando]
Aerion Supersonic, an aerospace company focused on high-speed flight, will construct a new, state-of-the-art campus, called Aerion Park, in Melbourne that should be up and running in 2026. The campus would be used to construct the company’s new AS2 Supersonic Business Jet that could fly at speeds up to 1,000 miles per hour.

› AutoNation agrees to return PPP funds [Miami Herald]
AutoNation said Friday it would return $77 million in aid it acquired through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The Fort Lauderdale-based company said the aid was procured legitimately. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that AuoNation, which employed 26,000 employees in 18 states prior to the coronavirus outbreak, used separate tax identification numbers assigned to dealerships across the country to apply for at least $266 million in funds.

› Miami-based movie theater chain files for bankruptcy amid coronavirus economic crisis [Miami Herald]
A Miami-based movie theater chain with locations at Dolphin Mall, Brickell City Centre and throughout South Florida has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid the economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus. CMX Cinemas, which acquired Cobb Theatres in 2017, operates about a half dozen movie theaters in Miami-Dade County, including the CinéBistro theatres at Dolphin Mall and CityPlace Doral. The company runs theaters in 12 states, including across Florida.

› Staying alive means getting creative for Clematis businesses [Palm Beach Post]
Hard times are everywhere on Clematis Street, long the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, but some businesses are using their imaginations to keep themselves and their employees afloat amid the coronavirus downturn.

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› Biotech firm expands footprint in Tampa region with $10M investment [Business Observer]
Amgen, a biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, Calif., has expanded its global capability center in Tampa’s Westshore business district, signing a lease for an additional 33,101 square feet of office space. According to a press release, Amgen chose Tampa for the 130,000-square-foot center in 2017 after evaluating 270 communities across the United States for expansion.

› Weathering the storm: St. Johns County farmers face major crop losses [St. Augustine Record]
Farmers are used to weathering hurricanes, droughts and other circumstances beyond their control. But there’s nothing more nerve-wracking than having a healthy crop ready to harvest, and no one to buy it. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the agriculture industry, including farms here in Northeast Florida. Sales of food products to dine-in restaurants, schools and other large-scale markets have fallen drastically.

› St. Petersburg City Council member says focus on business, forget the beaches [Tampa Bay Times]
To the long list of government officials contemplating how to reopen at every level after they were shut down in response to the coronavirus, add City Council member Robert Blackmon. Blackmon took to Facebook on Saturday to air a plan of sorts on how to reopen the local business community. And it doesn’t start with beaches.

› Van Wezel looks ahead to return of Broadway, classical and dance shows [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
After watching the end of the season wash away, along with more than $2 million in potential ticket sales, Van Wezel Executive Director Mary Bensel has been trying to focus on the future. “I try to stay very positive, but it has been crushing and overwhelming,” she said. “I keep thinking about what show would we have had tonight, and then I’ll go and listen to Harry Connick Jr. or David Foster, people who were supposed to be performing here. I’m used to being at the theater every night and now I’m just home with my dog.”