Will Florida’s 1st dip below 5% positivity rate this year translate to trend?

Data released Saturday by the Florida Department of Health showed the state’s first dip below a 5% positivity rate since the start of 2021. Many experts consider a 5% positivity rate to be the threshold for community spread of the virus, so getting and staying below that number is a major goal for state health officials. But officials are also quick to point out that positivity rates should really be tracked in two-week trends or longer to show if they’re really holding steady in the state. The state’s 14-day average is a 5.89% positivity rate. [Source: WJXT]

Judicial logjam worsens in Florida; more than 1 million court cases backlogged

Despite some courts throughout Florida resuming jury trials, the backlog of pending cases continues to grow statewide. According to the Florida Trial Court Budget Commission's latest figures, the judicial logjam has grown to an estimated 1.14 million. "Foreclosures, contracts and debt, and all manner of civil cases, we've seen a huge influx of filings in these areas," Palm Beach County Chief Judge Krista Marx said. [Source: WPTV]

Commentary: Technology crucial for small businesses even after pandemic

Digital tools allow businesses to reach their customers, make connections and sell their products during a time where lockdowns and social-distancing efforts have become a reality. Virtual marketplaces and public squares support businesses by offering a means to stay in touch with potential patrons, while reminding existing customers why they appreciate a local brand or business. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida House approves bill that would provide COVID legal immunity for businesses

The Florida House on Friday passed a bill that would shield businesses from lawsuits accusing them negligently spreading COVID-19. The goal of the legislation, passed on just the fourth day of the 2021 session, is to prevent Florida’s economic recovery from being undermined by a wave of what Republican lawmakers call “frivolous” litigation. Under the terms of the bill, businesses ranging from restaurants to hair salons would be immune if they can prove they have followed government guidelines on preventing the spread of COVID-19. [Source: Bay News 9]

‘Miami is on fire.’ New York restaurants swoop into South Florida despite the pandemic.

Miami, what New Yorkers like to call the Sixth Borough, has seen a stream of New York City-based restaurants open around the county in the last two months. Pastis Miami, an outpost of the impossible-to-get-into Manhattan original, announced it was opening a second location in Wynwood. There are 11 new restaurants in Wynwood alone, according to the business improvement district. New York has led the way, with restaurants from San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles and even Vancouver and Montreal, Canada, rushing to stake their claim in South Florida. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Former Florida chief justice Gerald Kogan dies at 87 [WJXT]
Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan, a champion of opening public access to legal proceedings, has died, a court spokesman said Friday. He was 87. Kogan, who died Thursday, was appointed to the high court in 1987 by then-Gov. Bob Martinez, a Republican. He was chief justice of the court from 1996 to 1998, after which he went into private legal practice.

› Jobs left Jacksonville fast in pandemic, still coming back year later [Florida Times-Union]
Although many people in Northeast Florida have lost jobs during the pandemic, Jacksonville's metropolitan area suffered less than most of the state. Unemployment in March 2020 stood at 4.3 percent both statewide and in Jacksonville’s metro area. In April, though, the rate rocketed to 14.4 percent across Florida, while reaching the still-terrible rate of 11.2 percent in the Jacksonville area.

› Daytona motorcycle rally goes on despite pandemic [AP]
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Daytona Beach’s annual Bike Week has brought tens of thousands of motorcyclists to the city and its neighbors this weekend — and few of them are wearing masks. The city made a bargain with its bars — 60% capacity indoors in return for the permits necessary for temporary outdoor sales and entertainment.

› COVID adds more ‘chaos’ to South Beach spring break as tourists flee lockdowns, cold [Miami Herald]
One year after the novel coronavirus cut spring break short, the party is back on in Miami Beach, and this time COVID isn’t keeping the young tourists away. If anything, it’s making Miami more of a destination for people looking to relax or let loose after being bottled up for months.

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› Wix, based in Miami Beach and Israel, buys Miami restaurant app-maker [Miami Herald]
It may surprise some that Wix, the website design company, is also in the restaurant business. But for the past six years, Wix, based in Israel but with 270 employees in Miami Beach, Wix has been helping eateries win new customers by customizing their websites to take orders, book reservations and display menus.

› Outta Control magic show set to reopen this month [Orlando Sentinel]
The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show, a staple of WonderWorks Orlando on International Drive, has scheduled two performance dates, its first ones of the pandemic era. The production is now selling tickets for March 13 and March 20, with more dates to be announced.

› St. Pete Deuces neighborhood may be in for a ‘renaissance.’ How to avoid gentrifying it? [Tampa Bay Times]
The historic 22nd Street South District of St. Petersburg, commonly known as the Deuces, is gearing up for a renaissance, said businesspeople and community leaders during a panel hosted by the Urban Land Institute. But how can the area continue to be revitalized without gentrifying the historically Black neighborhood?

› Fizz & Foam: Tallahassee alumna brings the capital city its first ever mobile bar business [Tallahassee Democrat]
“What do you do when a pandemic cancels all your summer plans? You start a business.” Sky Foster, creator and owner of Fizz & Foam, said it best through a post debuting Fizz & Foam on her Instagram page. With this innovative and originative mindset, Foster, a Florida State University alumna and current graduate student, has since created a woman-owned business that brings the first tap truckster and mobile bar to Tallahassee and its surrounding areas.