Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 3.18.20

More than 1 million Floridians work in jobs that are tied to tourism, hotels, restaurants, bars, and other places likely hit hard by the shutdowns that have come just in the past week because of the spread of the new coronavirus.

At least that was the case in May 2018. That is the most recent time for which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has data available that breaks down America’s workforce by state and more than 750 very specific occupations.

A Florida Politics analysis of that data finds 1,189,000 Florida workers are in jobs that could be directly impacted, such as fast-food workers, maids, bartenders, movie projectionists, and amusement and recreation attendants. That is out of 8,608,000 jobs in Florida, or about 14% of all the state’s jobs as of May 2018, according to the BLS.

Hundreds of thousands more workers are in other sectors impacted by the shutdowns, but of uncertain impact for the moment, such as teachers, drivers, and recreation workers. They were not included in the Florida Politics estimate of directly-impacted jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the vast majority of those impacted workers as those working in restaurant occupations, with many more working in hotels, attractions and entertainment, according to the Bureau’s “May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Florida” data reviewed Tuesday by Florida Politics.

Those workers are facing a nearly total collapse of Florida’s tourism, lodging, hospitality, and entertainment economy.

In a stunning few days, sports shut down, theme parks and other attractions closed, cruises stopped running, conventions and conferences got canceled, movie theaters closed, Gov, Ron DeSantis closed bars; most restaurants reduced operations, entertainment shows canceled or lost gigs when bars closed, and most hotels and motels found occupancy falling precipitously.

The full human impact of that collapse is only dawning. Most of the impacted workers have only learned in the past few days that their jobs are gone, or might soon be gone. Two weeks ago, few people were even thinking about the prospect.

In some cases, such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, companies have vowed to continue paying workers. But that generosity may be far from widespread or might not survive a lengthy crisis.

Many other workers may hold on as their employers hold out, with restaurants converting to carryout and delivery only, or operating at half-capacity, and hotels managing to stay open without the usual tourism and convention businesses. Some places such as the Seminole Hard Rock Casino have not closed but are being pressured to do so.

Those workers who hold onto employment through the crisis may be the lucky ones.

According to the BLS data from May 2018, which are estimates based on sampling surveys the bureau runs each year, Florida had 226,000 workers in the category of “combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food,” which is essentially fast-food workers; 211,000 waiters and waitresses; and 110,600 cooks.

Florida had 80,900 maids and housekeeping cleaners [a category which excludes janitors and custodians, who are listed separately;] 45,000 bartenders, 39,000 dishwashers, and 36,000 amusement and recreation attendants.

Among other occupations, Florida had 19,000 hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks; 9,000 ushers, lobby attendants and ticket takers; 7,000 lifeguards; 7,000 baggage porters and bellhops; 6,000 concierges; 4,000 gaming dealers; 3,000 tour and travel guides; 2,000 musicians and singers; and 1,000 professional athletes.

Scores of other occupations also are included, such as chefs and head cooks, cafeteria, food concession and coffee shop counter attendants, lodging managers, related food preparation workers, actors, sports officials, motion picture projectionists, dancers, airline flight attendants, airline pilots, and gaming managers.

Numerous other occupations that are likely heavily hit by the immediate shutdown were not included in the Florida Politics total, because their professions are spread a little more broadly than just within the tourism, entertainment, and hospitality sectors, and many of those jobs may be safe for now. For example — Florida has more than 18,000 recreation workers. Many of them work in theme parks and other impacted places, but not all. Other occupations such as sports coaches and scouts; entertainment producers and directors; captains, mates and pilots of water vessels; and animal trainers also fall into this broader area are not included.

Also not included were jobs in the secondary transportation industry, from ride-share drivers and taxi drivers to bus drivers. They, too, likely are seeing reduced business, but could hold on. According to the BLS data, Florida had 28,000 ride-share drivers in 2018, 20,000 bus drivers who do not drive for intercity transit or public bus systems, and 9,000 taxi drivers.

Then there are the schools. Florida’s 15,000 substitute teachers and 5,000 crossing guards all are out of work, and are included in the total. The vast majority of the remainder of Florida’s 431,000 educators are on paid vacation until at least April 15, with their long-term prospects yet to be sorted. They also are not included in the total.

— TOP STORY —

“Coronavirus wreaks havoc on primaries” via Natasha Korecki of POLITICO — Voters practiced social distancing with the election — by staying away from the polls. Early signs of low turnout in Illinois and Florida offered another sobering reminder of how the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on the election year. Tensions flared in other states as officials faced a backlash over decisions to forge ahead with their elections. In Florida, a lawsuit filed late Monday sought extensions of vote-by-mail drop-offs and other accommodations. And thanks to strong in-person early voting and absentee voting, Florida Democrats had cast a total of about 1.1 million votes as of Monday night — about 250,000 more than the day before Election Day in the 2016 presidential primary.

“Joe Biden wins Florida Democratic presidential primary” via The Associated Press — Biden handily defeated Bernie Sanders in Florida’s Democratic presidential primary Tuesday after the state forged ahead with the vote despite coronavirus fears and some minor glitches in polling.

Tweet, tweet:

Always worth checking, recent Florida polling average had Biden 65 – Sanders 19.

Through 94% of precincts, result is Biden 62 – Sanders 23.

Closest poll was FAU (61-25) (https://t.co/EyKI7AsdcE)https://t.co/ELibNVUilV pic.twitter.com/b11KVxv9Xz

— Langston Taylor (@langstonitaylor) March 18, 2020

“And the candidate with the most votes in Florida was — Trump” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Democratic presidential primary may have gotten the most attention. But Trump finished Florida’s primary with the most votes of any candidate for President. The Republican incumbent faced a primary of his own in Florida on Tuesday, though GOP opponent Weld didn’t make much of a showing. With four Republicans on the ballot, almost 78% of the vote in statewide, Trump was leading with 93.75% of the vote. Moreover, Trump had more than 1.1 million voted cast in the essentially noncompetitive primary. Compare that to Biden, who easily won the Florida Democratic primary over Sanders. With the same percentage of the vote tabulated, Biden was still shy of winning 1 million votes.

“AP VoteCast: Florida primary marked by coronavirus concerns” via Juliet Linderman and Hannah Fingerhut of The Associated Press — Voters in Florida cast their ballots in Tuesday’s Democratic primary during a pandemic that has stunted travel, closed schools, forced millions of workers to stay home and canceled campaign rallies. Many voters expressed concerns that they or their family members will be infected with the new coronavirus. At the same time, voters ranked health care as the most important issue facing the country, well above climate change, the economy, race relations, foreign policy and many other social issues. About 4 in 10 said they are very concerned that they or a relative will get the virus, according to a wide-ranging AP VoteCast survey of the Democratic primary electorate in Florida.

“Frank Hibbard elected Mayor in Clearwater election” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Hibbard will again be Clearwater’s Mayor, serving the city at a time when transformational policies are coming. Hibbard will guide the fate of the city’s Imagine Clearwater overhaul, hire a new City Manager and manage the city’s relationship with the Church of Scientology as its members continue to scoop up land in the coveted downtown area. Clearwater voters overwhelmingly elected Hibbard to replace current Mayor George Cretekos, sending him back to the seat he previously held from 2004 until 2012. He earned a resounding win. Hibbard had nearly 57% of the vote. In what might be a shock to some, Elizabeth “Sea Turtle” Drayer was in second place with 24%, followed by Bill Jonson with 16%.

“Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer cruises to reelection” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Singer defeated real estate broker Bernard Korn. With 84% of precincts reporting, Singer had received 89% of the vote, with Korn earning just 11%. Singer will be reelected to a three-year term. Singer was first elected to the Boca Raton City Council in 2014 before securing reelection in 2017. In 2018, Singer won the mayoral job in a special election. Korn ran an outsider campaign, alleging the Boca Raton government was corrupt. All the while, the challenger simultaneously maintained a website promoting his run to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

“Chris Corrie, Jesse Purdon win in Bonita Springs” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Corrie seems bound for the Bonita Springs City Council, and will likely be joined there by Purdon. Two spots on the Bonita Springs City Council appeared on the Tuesday ballot in special elections in Lee County. Purdon, a former aide for Rep. Curt Clawson, led salon owner Shelley Anderson in the District 2 contest with the first votes in. Purdon had previously been filed to run in a state House seat to succeed Rep. Ray Rodrigues but dropped out of that race to file in Bonita on the last day of qualification. Meanwhile, Corrie had a dominating lead over retired Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Dean Ben Hershenson in the District 4 race.

“Ty Penserga secures reelection Boynton Beach Commission” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — District IV Commissioner Penserga has secured reelection after topping 60% support in a three-way contest Tuesday. Tech CEO Rick Maharajh once again competed against Penserga. The two battled in last year’s contest, with Penserga coming out on top. Former City Commissioner David Katz also ran for the seat this year. But neither was a match for the incumbent. Penserga received 63% percent of the vote. Katz was in second with 26%, followed by Maharajh at just 11%. That enabled Penserga to defend his seat, which he took over in 2019 from now-state Rep. Joe Casello. Penserga is a neuroscience researcher at Florida Atlantic University.

“Jim Atterholt, Dan Allers and Bill Veach win in Fort Myers Beach” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Three new members will soon be sworn onto the Fort Myers Beach Town Council. With all precincts reporting, Jim Atterholt, Dan Allers and Bill Veach came out on top. Seven candidates were running for three seats on the Fort Myers Beach Town Council. Those include incumbent Bruce Butcher, who lost reelection, along with Forrest Critser, David Drumm and Robert Burandt. Top vote-getters will fill Seats 3, 4 and 5. There were also two charter amendments on the Fort Myers Beach ballot that both passed, one to reschedule elections away from a March cycle and one to change council terms from three to four years.

“Keys Schools funding initiative easily passes” via David Goodhue of the Miami Herald — Monroe County voters of both parties decidedly approved a school funding ballot initiative aimed at increasing teachers’ pay. That referendum passed 12,969 to 2,824. It allows the Monroe County School District to move 50 cents of every $1,000 in assessed property value from the building fund to the operations fund, which pays for teachers’ salaries, school medical staff and other classroom needs.

“Teresa Heitman ousts Bill Barnett in Naples mayoral contest” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Former Naples City Councilmember Heitman has defeated Naples Mayor Barnett in a rematch of the 2016 election. With all precincts reporting, Heitman won 4,391 votes, or 55.6%, to Barnett’s 3,502, or 44.4%, according to unofficial final election results. Barnett has been a regular presence in city politics since the 1980s, first serving on the City Council from 1984 to 1992 and previously serving a term as mayor from 1996 to 2000. There’s also six candidates running for three spots on the Naples City Council this year. There, Ted Blankenship, Mike McCabe and Paul Perry won seats over Reg Buxton, Michelle McLeod and Ellen Siegel. Buxton, McLeod and Siegel serve on the Council now.

“Joe Ayoub topples challenger Tanja Vidovic in Safety Harbor election” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Safety Harbor Mayor Ayoub will get another term, voters decided Tuesday. Ayoub secured a resounding victory against activist challenger Vidovic in a 67% to 33% vote. Ayoub served as Mayor from January 2013 until April 2014 and then again from March 2017 until the present. Before being elected as Mayor, Ayoub served as a City Commissioner from 2007 until 2013. Despite Ayoub’s resounding victory, the race was heated. Vidovic ran a campaign mainly highlighting what she saw as failures within his administration, including refunding nearly $160,000 to developers of a Main Street property, a project which Ayoub heralds as a city victory. She also accused him of being in bed with big developers.

“Sheila DeCiccio, Marty Sullivan win seats on Winter Park City Commission” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Newcomers to office, yet veterans of city government, DeCiccio and Sullivan won open seats on the Winter Park City Commission Tuesday, and two incumbents were reelected to the Apopka City Commission. With all 13 precincts in Winter Park counted, DeCiccio defeated Carl Creasman, 70% to 30%, to win the District 1 seat opening up with the departure of Greg Seidel. Sullivan won 55% to 45% over Jeffrey Blydenburgh. That was for the District 2 seat being vacated by Sarah Sprinkel. With all 17 precincts in Apopka counted, incumbents Douglas Michael Bankson and Kyle Becker have been returned to the Apopka City Commission.

“As coronavirus tests elections staff, Laurel Lee claims a successful night” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Secretary of State Lee said the new coronavirus challenged supervisors of elections on Election Day in Florida, but lauded election staff at the end of voting Tuesday evening. “Because of the extraordinary work of our supervisors of elections, their staff and thousands of poll workers, Floridians today were met with professionalism in addressing concerns and a steady commitment to ensuring that eligible voters were able to vote,” Lee said. Earlier Tuesday, Lee said polls were open across the state despite challenges at five Palm Beach County polling places. The county had 800 volunteers back out amid coronavirus concerns, with just 100 new volunteers replacing them. Lee reported 1,300 calls to voter assistance lines on a night with low to medium turnout.

“Election Day turnout in Florida fell amid virus worries. But vote-by-mail surged” via Alex Daugherty and David Smiley of the Miami Herald — Election Day turnout in Florida was down significantly from 2016, as a lack of a competitive GOP primary, surging vote-by-mail totals and coronavirus all kept voters away from the polls on Tuesday. But the total number of votes in the Democratic primary between Biden and Sanders beat 2016 numbers as Florida Democrats voted by mail in record numbers.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

If you read just one tweet:

“Stay home and don’t spread the virus,” @drsanjaygupta urges.

“How I behave … affects your health. How you behave affects my health. Never … have we been so dependent on each other, at least not in my lifetime, and we should rise to that occasion.” https://t.co/wCN6s7oDo0 pic.twitter.com/4J0y727Ptj

— CNN (@CNN) March 18, 2020

—@RealDonaldTrump: The world is at war with a hidden enemy. WE WILL WIN!

—@AndrewYang: My phone is blowing up!

—@MattGaetz: The Swamp will draft a COVID19 corporate bailout. It will not be good.

Tweet, tweet:

[spinning newspapers thrown on top of each other in fast-paced montage setting the transition to crucial survival bunker scene] pic.twitter.com/nX41F7h6D5

— Matt Pearce 🦅 (@mattdpearce) March 17, 2020

—@OliverDarcy: The Fox News from last week would have mocked and ridiculed the Fox News coverage from today. Tectonic shift in how the network is covering the virus. The reality of the situation is no longer possible to ignore, dismiss, and spin.

—@FlRReeves: Truly appreciate the briefings by @GovRonDeSantis He explains why decisions are made clearly. They should be appointment television for Florida residents

—@Whstancil: Maybe this is obvious to everyone, but the reason that bars and restaurants need a special bailout is because no matter how much cash you pump out to consumers, it can’t be spent at an establishment that has been ordered to shut. Restaurants are cut off, doomed to starve.

—@JiveTurkey: i’m lucky enough to now be a reporter, but for 4+ years i was a bartender in NYC living dollar to dollar if i missed even two night shifts, i would fall short of my rent can’t even imagine the scores of high-volume food + beverage servers who will be hurt in the weeks ahead

—@JerryIannelli: Voice Media Group just cut our pay 25 percent and that layoffs are likely coming amid the COVID-19 outbreak

—@BSFarrington: I’m crazy and have a death wish. I’m at one of @AmyRenee610 and my favorite restaurants. There are two other customers here and they’re 20 feet away. We asked, because we care. “What are you doing with all your food?” Answer: making baskets for everyone who can no longer work.

Tweet, tweet:

When you didn’t prep because prepping is for the paranoid. pic.twitter.com/mO9SaVG5pq

— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) March 16, 2020

—@mulvihill79: Total day TV use, which had been down all year, was up +14% yesterday as tens of millions of Americans began to work and study from home.

—@NHannahJones: Day 2 of homeschooling, and I already want to quit my teaching job. I’ve always appreciated how hard teaching is, but let me just say it for the record: Our educators are amazing and we should pay them more, respect them more and show gratitude every single day.

—@Elmo: Elmo wants all of Elmo’s friends to know that Elmo loves you and Elmo hopes you are staying safe and healthy!

— DAYS UNTIL —

“After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News” premieres on HBO — 1; Last day of 2020 Session — 2; Quibi launches — 19; Easter — 25; First quarter campaign reports due — 28; Last day of federal candidate qualifying — 35; NFL Draft — 36; Mother’s Day — 53; Florida Chamber Summit on Prosperity and Economic Opportunity — 58; Last day of state candidate qualifying — 82; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 100; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 116; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 120; 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo start (maybe) — 128; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 153; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 159; First presidential debate in Indiana — 195; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 203; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 211; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 218; 2020 General Election — 230; “No Time to Die” premieres (now) — 252.

— A NATION RESPONDS —

“Federal Reserve launches special fund to keep credit flowing in U.S. economy during coronavirus scare” via Heather Long of The Washington Post — The Federal Reserve is launching a special fund to keep credit flowing in the U.S. economy, yet another emergency measure as the world spirals toward a recession. Starting Tuesday, the central bank will buy significant amounts of commercial paper, the short-term loans that businesses rely on for funding to pay bills and other expenses. Stocks rallied on the announcement, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping more than 500 points. The Fed did the same thing during the Great Recession and ended up purchasing about $350 billion worth of these loans, or about 20 percent of this market. After the markets closed on Tuesday, the Fed announced one more backstop for the credit markets: Loans for so-called “primary dealers” that buy U.S. government bonds directly from the U.S. Treasury.

“Steven Mnuchin: ‘We are looking at sending checks to Americans immediately‘” via Nolan D. McCaskill of POLITICO — Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said Tuesday that the Trump administration was considering offsetting the economic burden of the coronavirus pandemic by “immediately” cutting checks to Americans. Mnuchin, speaking at a White House news conference, did not say how much money Americans could potentially expect to receive, and indicated that the administration could seek to exclude those who are well-off from receiving payments. “We are looking at sending checks to Americans immediately,” Mnuchin told reporters. “Americans need cash now, and the president wants to get cash now — and I mean now in the next two weeks.”

“Mnuchin warns virus could yield 20% jobless rate without action” via Bloomberg — Mnuchin raised the possibility with Republican senators that U.S. unemployment could rise to 20% without government intervention because of the impact of the coronavirus, according to people familiar with the matter. Mnuchin discussed the scenario with the lawmakers on Tuesday as he proposed an economic stimulus of $1 trillion or more. He told the senators that he believes the economic fallout from the coronavirus is potentially worse than the 2008 financial crisis.

New poll shows shifts in economic, coronavirus views — A new poll from NPR/Marist shows Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the economy by a 51%-45% margin when asked earlier this month, but the number of naysayers jumped 5 points compared to February while supporters remained flat. Additionally, the poll found that more Americans are concerned about the spread of coronavirus now than they were a month ago. A full 70% said they were concerned about the spread of the virus in their community, while 30% are not. A month ago, that measure was 45%-55% in the other direction.

“Senate to vote on House virus bill without big changes, Mitch McConnell says” via Laurie Asseo of Bloomberg — The Senate will move forward with a vote on the coronavirus-relief bill passed by the House instead of seeking to add major fiscal stimulus, Majority Leader McConnell told reporters Tuesday. Additional proposals for the next round of economic aid will be addressed in a third-phase plan that’s currently under discussion, he said. “The Senate will not leave town until we have processed yet another bill to address this emergency,” McConnell said.

“Americans kept wondering what the president wanted them to do about coronavirus. Finally, Donald Trump offered some guidance.” via Philip Rucker of The Washington Post — Nearly eight weeks after the first coronavirus case was reported in the United States, Trump conveyed that he, at last, recognizes the magnitude of the crisis. Trump whacked a beehive of angst when he convened a conference call with the nation’s governors. He told them that the states should not rely on the federal government to provide respirators, ventilators and other equipment to aid the infected, and that states should work on obtaining their own. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam compared the comment to being at war, and “we just heard our leader say you all need to get your own weapons at the state level to defeat this. But that’s the way it’s been.”

“How ugly could it get? Trump faces echoes of 1929 in coronavirus crisis.” via Ben White of POLITICO — The early signals from the coronavirus crisis point to a scale of damage unseen in the modern U.S. economy: the potential for millions of jobs lost in a single month, a historic and sudden plunge in economic activity across the nation and a pace of sharp market swings not seen since the Great Depression. The S&P is now only around 300 points away from wiping out all its gains since Trump won the White House. Trump himself, one of the grandest boasters of the strength and resilience of markets and the American economy, appeared to capitulate on Monday with a more somber tone reflecting the immense magnitude of the challenge facing the nation. “We have an invisible enemy,” he said, acknowledging that the virus could push the U.S. into recession.

“Many states are ill-prepared for unemployment benefits surge” via Ian Kullgren of POLITICO Florida — A decade of sharp cuts to state unemployment programs threatens to leave laid-off workers more vulnerable than during the Great Recession. With 10 states having reduced since the 2007-09 recession the maximum weeks employees can receive unemployment benefits, many state unemployment systems will be less generous to the unemployed than they were during that earlier downturn — even with the $1 billion boost that unemployment insurance is set to receive in the legislative package before Congress. In Florida and North Carolina, for example, recipients can stop receiving unemployment benefits after 12 weeks, despite predictions from public health officials and economic experts that the economic aftereffects from the coronavirus pandemic could last much longer.

“One simple idea that explains why the economy is in great danger” via Neil Irwin of The New York Times — To understand why the world economy is in grave peril because of the spread of coronavirus, it helps to grasp one idea that is at once blindingly obvious and sneakily profound. One person’s spending is another person’s income. That, in a single sentence, is what the $87 trillion global economy is. That relationship, between spending and income, consumption and production, is at the core of how a capitalist economy works. It is the basis of a perpetual motion machine. We buy the things we want and need, and in exchange give money to the people who produced those things, who in turn use that money to buy the things they want and need, and so on, forever.

“Marriott begins furloughing tens of thousands of employees” via Craig Karmin of The Wall Street Journal — The company began shutting down some of its managed properties last week, a Marriott spokeswoman said. The employees at these properties won’t be paid while on furlough, but the bulk will continue to receive health care benefits that are ultimately paid by the hotel owner, which for the vast majority of the brand’s properties isn’t Marriott. Marriott is also trimming staff through furloughs at properties that are still operating. The staff reductions include everyone from general managers to housekeepers. There have been no layoffs or furloughs at the corporate level, but those are “under discussion.” Marriott said it expected to bring back as many of the furloughed employees as possible when the novel coronavirus is contained and business returns.

“Coronavirus pushes factories to stagger shifts, separate workers” via Austen Hufford and Bob Tita of The Wall Street Journal — Manufacturers in the U.S. are improvising to keep factories humming as the coronavirus pandemic threatens one of the biggest disruptions in memory to supply chains, staffing and demand. Factories are staggering shifts, banning visitors, and installing barriers between workers to protect them from infection. Some executives worry that might not be enough to maintain production as officials across the country advise more people to stay home, and schools and day care centers shut down. In Europe, carmakers and other manufacturers have suspended production as the intensity of the outbreak there has endangered worker health and snarled supply chains.

“So we’re working from home. Can the internet handle it?” via Davey Alba and Cecilia King of The New York Times — Derek Pando rarely had problems with his home internet service — until last week. That was when he began working from his house because of the coronavirus. Mr. Pando, 35, a tech worker in Palo Alto, California,, immediately started using work applications like video conferencing that ate up a lot of data. And he shared his internet service — which was built atop a premium broadband internet package from Comcast and a state-of-the-art home Wi-Fi network — with his wife, who was also working at home, and their two children, who at times streamed movies. After five days of this activity, his internet ground to a halt, Mr. Pando said.

“How U.S. coronavirus testing stalled: Flawed tests, red tape and resistance to using the millions of tests produced by the WHO” via Peter Whoriskey and Neena Satija of The Washington Post — The United States’ struggles stemmed from the fact the country took too long to use private companies to develop the tests. First, the CDC moved too slowly to tap into the expertise of academia and private companies, experts said. For example, it wasn’t until last week that large companies such as Roche and Thermo Fisher won approval from the Food and Drug Administration to produce their own tests. Moreover, while FDA and CDC officials have attributed some of the testing delays to their determination to meet exacting scientific standards they said were needed to protect public health, the government effort was nevertheless marred by a widespread manufacturing problem that stalled U.S. testing for most of February.

“COVID-19 hits doctors, nurses and EMTs, threatening health system” via Lenny Bernstein, Shawn Boburg, Maria Sacchetti and Emma Brown of The Washington Post — Dozens of health care workers have fallen ill with COVID-19, and more are quarantined after exposure to the virus, an expected but worrisome development as the U.S. health system girds for an anticipated surge in infections. From hot spots such as the Kirkland, Wash., nursing home where nearly four dozen staffers tested positive for the coronavirus, to outbreaks in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California and elsewhere, the virus is picking off doctors, nurses and others needed in the rapidly expanding crisis. “We all suspect it’s the tip of the iceberg,” said Liam Yore, a board member of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

“When will school reopen? No date in sight, and schools struggling to put learning online” via Erin Richards of USA TODAY — With at least 70% of America’s schools shutting down and a chorus of prominent voices calling to close the rest, millions of parents entered a strange new reality this week: attempting to manage their children’s education from the confines of home. The new landscape of remote work coupled with remote schooling is bizarre and chaotic. And it stands to get worse before it gets better: Districts and states vary wildly in their ability to deliver educational services at a time of social isolation. Trump called for limiting gatherings of people to no more than 10 for the next 15 days and suggested school-age students take classes from home.

— FLORIDA RESPONDS —

“With more private lab tests, total coronavirus cases in FL rise to 216” via Samantha J. Gross of the Miami Herald — Gov. DeSantis announced 24 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, at a press conference Tuesday night in the state’s emergency operations center. There are now 216 positive cases in the state. Of the 24 new cases announced, 22 were Florida residents. More than 2,000 people have now been tested for COVID-19 in Florida.

“No K-12 testing this year, but online learning will continue through coronavirus crisis” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida is scrapping state testing requirements for its K-12 schools, the cornerstone of the state’s schools accountability system, because of growing concerns over the novel coronavirus, said DeSantis. School grades are also being waived. The state is extending the time students aren’t on campus, at least until April 15. Students in the majority of school districts will start distance learning through online school or paper assignments delivered home on March 30. Most students are currently on an extended spring break that was announced last week. Some districts, including Miami-Dade, already opted to start distance learning this week.

“Florida cancels university graduation ceremonies. ‘We all saw it coming.’” via the Tampa Bay Times — “Traditional on-campus commencement ceremonies will not be held in May,” read a note on the state system website. “Instead, each university is directed to develop an alternate schedule or method of delivery.” Also on Tuesday, Gov. DeSantis announced during a news conference that four students at the University of Florida, including one who traveled internationally, have been found to have the virus. He urged students there, as did UF president Kent Fuchs, to leave campus, if possible. During the same news conference, the governor ordered that all Florida universities continue online-only instruction through the end of the spring semester. The move to remote learning had previously been temporary, but DeSantis suggested a permanent mandate would encourage more students to relocate.

“Ron DeSantis on virus: Last call for bars, nightclubs” via Bobby Caina Calvan and Freida Frisaro of The Associated Press — DeSantis vowed to seek immediate help for thousands of workers financially hit by business closures. He urged Congress to act quickly to expand the financial resources to help states weather an economic calamity. The governor announced a series of moves after a 77-year-old man in a Broward County assisted living facility died and tested positive for the virus. State school officials said public schools would remain closed until April 15, and announced the suspension of mass campus gatherings, including sports events. Under one of the governor’s orders, restaurants must operate at only half capacity, limiting patrons to maintain safe distances between diners. The Governor said his order does not preclude the hardest-hit area from taking more actions.

“Many state employees can’t work remotely during outbreak” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat — A number of state workers, it now appears, will not ‘telecommute’ to work while an invisible and deadly enemy moves across Florida. And still, others forced to take time off to deal with child care and other issues, could end up furloughed. Gov. DeSantis has encouraged state agencies “to maximize” remote working and telecommuting options during the coronavirus crisis, but state managers and union leaders said most workers do jobs that cannot be performed remotely. Schools, governments and businesses are grappling with how to slow the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, to prevent hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed with patients.

“Florida asks federal government to send additional resources to areas highly-impacted by COVID-19” via Sarah Mueller of Florida Politics — The Division of Emergency Management is ordering additional supplies and personal protective equipment to try to mitigate and contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state. … Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz has requested thousands of supplies from the federal government, including 5,000 ventilators, 50,000 containers of hand sanitizer, 500,000 gloves and 2 million N95 face masks.  The state says the supplies are being delivered on a rolling basis and inventory is being distributed across the state 24 hours a day. The state has three field hospitals, with one currently staged in Orlando. The second is on the way to Broward County and the last one is headed to Ocala. They can be deployed to other areas as needed.

“Federal Medicare and Medicaid agency approves Florida waiver request to fight COVID-19” via Florida Politics — Last week, Trump declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency, allowing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive certain requirements in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program known as CHIP. The declaration allows the federal government to grant state Medicaid agencies more flexibility, such as submitting waiver requests to remove administrative burdens and expand access to needed health care services. Florida was the first state to submit a Section 1135 waiver request following Trump’s emergency declaration and CMS quickly approved the request. “I want to thank Gov. DeSantis for his leadership in Medicaid and for taking full advantage of federal flexibilities,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.

Tweet, tweet:

New release shows @JaredEMoskowitz’s request to feds:

5 mobile ICUs
5K ventilators
5K hospital beds
50K mini hand sanitizers
250K coveralls
500K gloves
500K gowns
500k collection kits
100K big hand sanitizers
150K PPE kits (coveralls, gowns, goggles)
2 million N95 face masks

— Samantha J. Gross (@samanthajgross) March 18, 2020

“Overrun by demand, short on supplies, Palm Beach drive-thru testing site shuts down” via Ben Conarck and Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — Two days after announcing that it was conducting free drive-thru testing for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a nonprofit in West Palm Beach had to halt new visits after it was overrun by demand and quickly ran out of testing supplies. The surge in traffic to FoundCare, a federally qualified health care center, came despite limitations on who could show up for testing, which included a prescheduled appointment and screening questions about health risk factors and travel history. It overwhelmed the small nonprofit not because the center did not have the staffing, but because it did not have enough personal protective gear or the swab kits used to collect specimens.

“Florida funeral homes looking to limit numbers at visitations” via Tom Szaroleta of The Florida Times-Union — Funeral directors around Florida are looking for ways to limit crowds at visitations and services to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Michele Hood, associate executive director of the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida, said one funeral home is already limiting visitations to no more than 20 people, plus the family of the deceased, and limiting services to no more than 50 people. There are no statewide policies in place at this point, she said, but funeral homes are asking people to consider alternatives to the traditional visitation. “If they have a funeral that they can conduct with just immediate family, and then perhaps do another memorial service after the COVID-19 risk has diminished, we are making those recommendations,” Hood said Tuesday.

“CEO: Florida-based Silver Airways ‘in dire need’ of federal aid to survive” via Jane Wooldridge of the Miami Herald — In a letter submitted to U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Rick Scott, and Broward Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Silver CEO Steve Rossum wrote “direct assistance is both respectfully requested and required” in order to survive the financial downturn resulting from efforts to staunch the spread of the new coronavirus. “Our passenger bookings have dropped dramatically over the past month and we are experiencing an even greater and unprecedented decline in forward bookings each day, and ever-increasing cancellations as citizens and visitors are encouraged not to travel.”

“Virus spurs Forest Service to close campgrounds” via the News Service of Florida — All campgrounds and campsites on state forest lands will close Friday for 30 days because of concerns about the novel coronavirus, the Florida Forest Service said. The campground closures are part of a series of steps the forest service is taking, including halting public-outreach programs, group events and tours for 30 days, effective immediately. “The public health of Floridians is of utmost importance during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, whose department includes the forest service, said in a statement.

“State Parks limit hours of operation” via the News Service of Florida — The Department of Environmental Protection announced The state park system would honor existing camping reservations that begin on March 18, but individuals that made those plans must arrive before 5 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. After Wednesday, existing reservations will be canceled and refunded, the state agency said in a release. State parks had been operating during daylight hours, but the change announced Tuesday limits sets visitation between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Department of Environmental Protection is also canceling “all events, activities, special event reservations, pavilion rentals and overnight reservations” for the next 60 days.

— LOCAL ANGLES —

“Three deaths at one Fort Lauderdale ALF stoke coronavirus fears” via Carol Marbin Miller of the Miami Herald — Three residents of a large Fort Lauderdale assisted living facility have died in recent days, and leaders fear their deaths may be linked to the spread of the coronavirus, a pandemic that is proving to be particularly lethal among elders. On Tuesday morning, the Florida Department of Health announced one death at an unidentified ALF in Broward County at the agency’s daily briefing with reporters. But by midafternoon, Fort Lauderdale city leaders confirmed a second death at the ALF, by then identified as Atria Willow Wood, at 2855 West Commercial Blvd. Later Tuesday, health administrators and the city revised the count yet again: three people had died, all of them residents of Atria Willow Wood.

“FIU staff member tests positive for COVID-19. University closes campuses to visitors” via Devoun Cetoute of the Miami Herald — A staff member at Florida International University (FIU) has tested positive for COVID-19, the university said in a mass email on Tuesday. In the email, the university said the employee is likely a travel-related case and has not been back on campus since the staff member returned from a trip. FIU believes because the employee has not been back at the school, “there is no indication, thus far, that the FIU community has been exposed by this individual.” A university spokeswoman declined to say more about the employee and where the staff member had traveled. FIU says to increase social distancing practices, campuses are closed to all visitors.

“Katherine Fernandez Rundle follows challenger’s plan to reduce Miami-Dade jail population” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Miami-Dade State Attorney candidate Melba Pearson released a policy proposal calling for State Attorney Fernandez Rundle to reduce the Miami-Dade jail population to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In response, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said on Sunday that “prosecutors have no control over who’s arrested or released from jail.” By Sunday evening, Rundle tweeted something very different. She said that she reached out to Public Defender Carlos Martinez, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, and the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Department to “develop a process to release misdemeanor & nonviolent felons who are in custody but pose no threat to the public.”

“Shevrin Jones pushes for pause on evictions, utility shutdowns during coronavirus outbreak” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Rep. Jones is asking DeSantis to suspend evictions and utility shut-offs throughout the state as residents continue dealing with the economic effects of the new coronavirus. In a letter to the Gov., Jones says that reality could lead to Floridians being unable to pay the bills amid a loss of income. “Many businesses will lay off workers, and many workers do not have the savings to withstand a lapse in income,” Jones argued.

“Jackie Toledo calls on Seminole Hard Rock Casino to scale back operations amid coronavirus outbreak” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Rep. Toledo is putting pressure on the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa to reduce its operating hours to help with social distancing measures aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus. “I am writing to ask why the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is still operating on a normal schedule,” Toledo wrote in a letter to Steve Bonner, president of the casino. “The COVID-19 virus has become increasingly prevalent in Tampa Bay, and the Tampa Hard Rock Casino remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” “Please follow suit of your industry across the country, and close your doors to prevent exposure to some of our most vulnerable populations,” Toledo continued.

“Two South Florida casinos are shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic” via David Neal of the Miami Herald — Calder Casino and The Casino at Gulfstream Park are closing voluntarily as the CDC counsels against gatherings of 50 or more and the novel coronavirus pandemic keeps hitting South Florida. As of Monday afternoon, there are 23 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Miami-Dade and 38 confirmed cases in Broward. Calder Casino didn’t open Monday and will be closed until March 30. Gulfstream’s casino will close at 10 p.m. Monday night and remain closed until further notice. Magic City Casino said via email it would close at 11 p.m. Monday and take things day-by-day. The ponies ran at Gulfstream without fans last week and will continue to run. Fans can bet on the 1ST BET and Xpressbet apps.

“All local filming halted. Michael Keaton and Hallmark had spring dates.” via Paul Guzzo of the Tampa Bay Times — Citing coronavirus, the health of cast and crew, and a lack of safe places for filming, the Hillsborough County Film Commission has stopped issuing permits to productions seeking to shoot on public property. Those filming on private property don’t require county permits. Still, productions “need to do what’s best for their clients and their teams by following recommended (safety) procedures,” said Tyler Martinolich, the Hillsborough County film commissioner. “We will resume permitting once city and county facilities, meetings, and programming continue.” What’s more, he said, several major productions were looking to film in the spring, including a Keaton and Hallmark films, Martinolich said. There is no indication yet what they will do.

— MORE LOCAL ANGLES —

“Broward judge halts evictions as county grapples with coronavirus impact” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Broward Chief Circuit Judge Jack Tuter is ordering a halt to all evictions in the county as Broward continues to lead the state in positive cases of the COVID-19 virus. In a Tuesday letter to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Tuter referenced the ongoing state of emergency due to the spread of the virus. Tuter outlined that state of emergency, along with a previous Administrative Order allowing for evictions to be suspended. The move comes after Rep. Jones, who chairs the Broward Legislative Delegation, called on DeSantis to pause evictions statewide.

“Orlando bar and brewery owners grapple with prohibition of on-site sales to fight coronavirus spread” via Ryan Gillespie and Austin Fuller of the Orlando Sentinel — Orlando Brewing will keep crafting beer in hopes of buoying its business with kegs and cans, now that DeSantis has ordered all of the state’s bars closed, the latest dramatic step to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. “It’s almost like a hurricane, except it’s not ending,” said John Cheek, president of Orlando Brewing, of chaos now ensnaring food and beverage businesses. “We’re not going anywhere … at least we hope not.” DeSantis’ decision came just moments after an announcement by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who barred the sale of alcohol for on-site consumption citywide through the end of March. But hours later, Dyer walked back that order to stand in lockstep with the Governor.

“Multiple cases reported from same Jacksonville facility” via David Bauerlein and Christopher Hong of The Florida Times-Union — Multiple of Duval County’s six positive coronavirus cases came from the same facility, city officials said Wednesday. At a media briefing convened by Mayor Lenny Curry, the city’s emergency preparedness chief Steve Woodard said ‘multiple cases’ stemmed from the site where ‘they resided.'”

“Drive-thru coronavirus testing coming soon to Hillsborough County” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, along with Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Sen. Janet Cruz, updated Tampa residents Tuesday on efforts to combat the coronavirus — both the spread and the economic fallout. “We’ve been taking critical steps every day to protect Tampa,” Castor said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference at an outdoor section of the Tampa Convention Center. Those steps include setting up meal drops for students out of school due to the coronavirus, working with state and federal officials to promote access to emergency loans for small businesses, exploring options for displaced employees, and facilitating drive-thru coronavirus testing sites.

“Courthouse weddings canceled in Hillsborough Co. due to coronavirus” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts offices are suspending marriage ceremonies indefinitely in response to the coronavirus. The clerk’s office is canceling all appointments after Tuesday, and they will not be taking new appointments until further notice. The Clerk’s office will continue issuing marriage licenses, but courthouse weddings are, at least for now, a no-go. The office reminds couples that any qualified notary public in Florida can perform marriage ceremonies, so while the courthouse wedding might not be an option, perhaps a backyard is. The agency is also canceling passport application processing until further notice beginning Wednesday. Appointments after Tuesday will be canceled, and the office is not scheduling further appointments at this time.

“Tampa General Hospital braces for coronavirus, performs its own tests” via Stephanie Colombini of WUSF — As the country tries to meet the growing demand for coronavirus tests, some area hospitals like TGH are doing their own in-house testing. The hospital recently received FDA approval for a test similar to the CDC’s version, but availability is limited. The hospital can only do so many tests a day, so it has to limit who is eligible based on CDC guidelines that factor in whether patients show symptoms of COVID-19. TGH’s test can produce results within about six to twelve hours, according to Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. David Wein. But he said people should avoid the temptation to visit the hospital to get tested for quick peace of mind, as they may not qualify and could actually increase their risk of exposure to the virus.

“Coronavirus blurring Tallahassee’s ‘invisible line’ as north county, southside moms feed kids” via CD Davidson-Hiers of the Tallahassee Democrat — When schools are where kids eat, how do needy families keep their children fed during the coronavirus pandemic? Tallahassee moms from opposite sides of the city are building the answer. On Tuesday morning in a warehouse on the southwest side of town, Denise Wilson held grocery bags open while other people put in bags of rice, cans of soup and other nonperishable food items. She was one of at least 10 volunteers working at Second Harvest of the Big Bend to fill 6,000 “supplemental” bags of food to distribute to Leon County Schools. In total, Second Harvest is sending out 20,000 bags to 11 counties in the Big Bend, working with 135 partner agencies.

“Navy Federal employee tests presumptive positive for coronavirus” via Annie Blanks of the Pensacola News Journal — Navy Federal Credit Union, one of the largest employers in the Pensacola area, announced Tuesday that an employee working at its campus in Pensacola tested presumptive positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). The employee last reported to work on March 14 before seeking medical treatment, according to a news release from the company. “Our thoughts are with the employee who has tested presumptive positive,” said Keith Hoskins, senior vice president of Greater Pensacola. “We have taken swift action, beginning with contacting those employees who worked in proximity to the affected employee and asking them to work from home. We’ve taken steps to further reduce exposure by conducting extensive cleaning of the employee’s work area and surrounding areas in the building where the employee works.”

“UWF baseball wrestles with ‘vanished’ season amid an unprecedented pandemic” via Eric J. Wallace of the Pensacola News Journal — University of West Florida head baseball coach Mike Jeffcoat is experiencing his first spring break in nearly three decades amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. There isn’t any celebration about it: no bullpen sessions, batting practice or team meetings. Silence has descended upon the diamond at Jim Spooner Field. “It’s definitely different. Kind of eerie to be honest with you,” Jeffcoat said of the atmosphere around UWF baseball. “When you play baseball, you normally don’t have spring break. It’s been hard to wrap my head around shutting off my competitive mode and knowing it’s over.”

“In the Florida Keys, 21 people have been tested for COVID-19 so far, state says” via Gwen Filosa of David Goodhue of FL Keys News — As of Tuesday morning, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the Florida Keys is zero. Twenty-one people in the Florida Keys have been tested, and while the majority of those test results are pending, the top state health official in the county does not believe the disease is being spread on community bases in the island chain. “It’s been going on long enough, and enough tests have been conducted, we can say it’s not being spread here on a community basis,” Bob Eadie, Department of Health in Monroe County administrator, said during an online news conference Tuesday morning.

“Animal shelter offers free adoptions due to coronavirus” via The Associated Press — An animal shelter in north Florida is offering free pet adoptions, saying it’s never been a better time to be at home with a new animal now that people are staying put due to the new coronavirus. The Jacksonville Humane Society said it would waive adoption fees this week. Over the weekend, city-owned Animal Care and Protective Services announced it would close for two weeks, citing concerns over the virus. That left the Jacksonville Humane Society as the area’s only agency equipped to handle stray and lost pets. “This is a unique opportunity to be at home with your new pet while they adjust to new surroundings,” Lindsey Layendecker, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Humane Society told The Florida Times-Union.

— MORE CORONA —

“Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong face second wave of coronavirus cases” via Liza Lin and Joyu Wang of The Wall Street Journal — Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong are witnessing fresh waves of coronavirus infections, as the growing number of cases around the world test their successful early defenses against the disease. Singapore reported 23 new cases late Tuesday, its highest daily count since the epidemic started. Taiwan recorded a single-day high of 10 cases of infection, bringing its total to 77. Hong Kong added five new cases — a day after it recorded nine — the most since Feb 9. Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which were hit early by the fast-spreading coronavirus because of their close economic and social ties with China, have been lauded for effectively controlling initial outbreaks with fast and aggressive responses. Now, they face fresh challenges.

“The WHO said to stop calling it ‘Chinese’ coronavirus, but Republicans didn’t listen” via Sara Fischer of Axios — Over the past few days, there’s been a noticeable uptick in conservatives using the terms “Wuhan virus” and “Chinese virus,” according to a new report from The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. This is in opposition to guidance from the World Health Organization, which requested back in February that the epidemic be referred to as coronavirus or COVID-19, rather than terms that could stigmatize individuals with Chinese ancestry. The language mimics the language used by the Trump administration to try to subtly frame other national security issues as problems created by foreigners.

“Over 24,000 coronavirus research papers are now available in one place” via Karen Hao of MIT Technology Review — Researchers collaborating across several organizations released the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19), which includes over 24,000 research papers from peer-reviewed journals as well as sources like bioRxiv and medRxiv (websites where scientists can post non-peer-reviewed preprint papers). The research covers SARS-CoV-2 (the scientific name for the coronavirus), COVID-19 (the scientific name for the disease), and the coronavirus group. It represents the most extensive collection of scientific literature related to the ongoing pandemic and will continue to update in real-time as more research is released. The database was compiled under the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) through a collaboration between three organizations.

“Facebook plans $1,000 bonuses to help employees during coronavirus crisis” via Jessica Toonkel and Alex Heath of The Information — Facebook is one of the first big companies to offer workers cash to help them during the coronavirus outbreak. It follows a similar move by enterprise software firm Workday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it in an internal company notice, saying that the company wants to support employees working remotely because of the pandemic, said two people familiar with the matter. The company, which employed nearly 45,000 full-time employees at the end of last year, also said it would give all employees an “exceeds” rating for their first six-month review of 2020. That means all full-time employees also could earn significant bonuses for the period.

“MLB teams pledge $30M to help cover lost wages for ballpark employees” via Jeff Passan of ESPN — All 30 Major League Baseball teams pledged $30 million total to help cover the lost wages of ballpark employees who have been affected by the postponement of the big league season due to the coronavirus crisis. “Motivated by desire to help some of the most valuable members of the baseball community, each Club has committed $1 million,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said. “The individual clubs will be announcing more details surrounding this support effort in their local communities. The timing of these announcements will vary because of the need to coordinate with state and local laws as well as collective bargaining obligations in an effort to maximize the benefits realized by each group of employees.”

“The coronavirus fake news pandemic sweeping WhatsApp” via Janosch Delcker, Zosia Wanat and Mark Scott of POLITICO — The voice of the woman, introducing herself as “Elisabeth … you know, Poldi’s mom,” sounded genuinely concerned. A friend of hers, who was a doctor at the university hospital of Vienna, had called her with a warning, she said in German. The clinic had noticed that most patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus pandemic, had taken the painkiller ibuprofen before they were hospitalized. Tests run by the university’s laboratory, she added, had found “strong evidence that ibuprofen accelerates the multiplication of the virus.” With lightning speed, an audio recording of the message spread among German-language users of WhatsApp, the messenger service owned by Facebook.

— THE HUMAN TOLL —

“They were sports stars. Now they’re public health megaphones.” via Ben Cohen and Joshua Robinson of The Wall Street Journal — He has 14 million followers on Twitter and nearly 30 million on Instagram. And what Stephen Curry told those followers suddenly on Sunday turned the greatest shooter in basketball history into one of the most influential voices in public health. “I know this time is pretty hectic and crazy and there’s a lot of uncertainty out there,” Curry said in a video. “But just want to take the time to encourage everyone to practice social distancing to the best of their abilities.” What came next was a remarkable example of one of sports’ biggest names using his social media for good. Curry’s video had 2.2 million views on Twitter and 1.4 million views on Instagram by Monday at noon.

We all have to take responsibility for ourselves and do whatever it takes to #stopthespread. There’s a sense of urgency to flatten the curve and give ourselves and the healthcare system the best chance to get through this pandemic. Share this message and let’s protect each other! pic.twitter.com/T8JfydahCu

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) March 15, 2020

“Grieving for my sick city” via Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times — There is a lot to mourn right now. Many thousands of people all over the world are mourning dead loved ones. People are mourning lost jobs, lost savings, lost security. Senior citizens in locked-down nursing homes are mourning the loss of visitors. I’m lucky; I’m just mourning the city. To live in a city like New York, where I’ve spent most of my adult life, is to trade private space for public space. It’s to depend on interdependence. I don’t have a dining room, but I’ve been able to eat in thousands of restaurants. I have no storage space, but everything I needed was at the bodega. I don’t have a home office, but I could work at coffee shops.

“What it’s like to be a single parent in a pandemic” via Alison Stine of The Washington Post — As the single mother of a young child, my small family is rarely factored into scenarios, emergency or otherwise, where the dominant family unit is assumed to be two parents at home. I’ve been a single mother since my ex-husband left when my now-9-year-old was a baby. Because his father lives more than 500 miles away, I have grown used to making all my child’s medical appointments, attending recitals and parent-teacher conferences, arranging all playdates, and planning all birthdays alone. As schools rapidly begin to close for long periods due to the coronavirus, who will care for the children in one-parent homes? How can single parents hold onto their jobs, and any sense of economic security?”

“Target, Fresh Market add senior shopping hour, Publix reduces hours further” via Sara DiNatale of the Tampa Bay Times — Grocery stores are continuing to cut back hours and some are adding designated shopping times for those most vulnerable to COVID-19. Starting Wednesday, Publix said stores company-wide will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Target will close all of its locations by 9 p.m., something Winn-Dixie began on Monday. Aldi and Trader Joe’s began limited daily hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the start of this week. Target is also designating a shopping period for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions the first hour stores are open every Wednesday. Tampa Bay Target stores open at 8 a.m. The Fresh Market says its stores will cater to those most vulnerable to coronavirus every weekday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

“Relax, America: The U.S. has plenty of toilet paper” via Sharon Terlrp of The Wall Street Journal — Charmin maker Procter & Gamble Co. and Cottonelle maker Kimberly-Clark Corp. say they have ramped up toilet-paper production and are able to make enough to meet demand. Kimberly-Clark has started posting pictures of warehouses full of toilet paper in some markets. The problem, the manufacturers say, is getting the product shipped to warehouses and retailers, and then onto store shelves, quickly enough to keep up with sales. U.S. toilet-paper sales were up 60% for the week ended March 7, compared with the same period a year ago, according to Nielsen. It is a significant jump, but not close to the sales increases for hand sanitizer or aerosol disinfectants, up 470% and 313%, respectively, for that period.

“The world is closing down and Jeff Kottkamp’s ski vacation still sucked” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Floridians are suffering the closure of its theme parks, spring training camps and bars amid a coronavirus pandemic. But former Lt. Gov. Kottkamp took to Facebook to let folks know his ski vacation still sucked. “On behalf of the thousands of families impacted by this I will be demanding answers,” he wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. The Republican has returned home from a fruitless trip to Vail, Colorado. His initial complaints about having his “family’s vacation destroyed” drew a rebuke from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Now, the former Florida official has words for the state government in the Centennial State.

— GOT COVID-19? —

As the nation deals with novel coronavirus, a dry cough is no longer just a cough.

Yes, it could be just a cough — or maybe this new pathogen has taken up residence.

How would you know?

Health experts AND U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer nine things to look for to see if you may have coronavirus:

— Take a deep, cleansing breath. If you’re congested, do the best you can. If you are developing COVID-19, the upper-respiratory illness, you are most likely going to recover. Stay calm.

— List your symptoms. Dry cough is one. Short of breath? Fever? Anything above 100 degrees is considered a fever. These symptoms mean you’re sick with something.

— Flu-like symptoms COVID-19 include chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and runny nose.

— Call your doctor immediately. Unless you are having critical problems, do not go into the nearest emergency department. Call your usual medical provider before seeking care. If you have a scheduled appointment sometime soon, call the doctor’s office to report you have symptoms of COVID-19. The doctor’s staff can then protect themselves and others in the office from infection.

— If you do not have a primary care doctor, call your local health department. If you have private insurance, your carrier keeps a directory of primary care doctors in its network.

— Do not leave your house unless under doctor’s orders. When sick, stay home from work and everywhere else unless you visit your doctor or are instructed to report to a hospital. For 80% of people infected with the novel coronavirus, the most severe result will be a mild cold. Still, if you must leave your house, that’s the time that you should wear a face mask so that you do not exhale droplets with the virus and infect others.

— Be honest, tell your doctor everything. Report any travel or an area with widespread or community contagion on COVID-19. Report any contacts with anyone who later tested positive. Before testing for COVID-19, the doctor will most likely rule out other viruses like the flu.

— Get tested — if (and when) they are available. There still are too few test kits to do the blanket coverage of the population, which would allow researchers to track how the novel coronavirus is spreading. More tests are in manufacturing pipelines, and more laboratories are processing results. But you may be well again by then.

— You need a doctor’s order to get the novel coronavirus test. If your symptoms are mild, your doctor may send you home to manage symptoms without a test. If you don’t get better in a few days, speak again to your doctor, who may then send you to the hospital.

Self-isolation. You will need to stay in one room of your home, with one person (at most) taking care of you, use a separate bathroom, if you can. Limit contact with anyone, even people living with you. No outside-the-house trips except to the doctor. Avoid public transportation, ride-shares or cabs.

— ONE GOOD THING —

“Amid all of the coronavirus despair, every day AP will have an uplifting story of kindness, charity or inspiration,” the Associated Press says.

This feature is called “One Good Thing.” Today’s installment is by Luis Andres Henao… The story is titled “Spreading birthday card love in the time of coronavirus…“

— D.C. MATTERS —

Every U.S. county needs mobile COVID-19 testing now, says Rick Scott — Scott is urging the following steps to keep families safe from the coronavirus: Close the border; end travel from any foreign country except U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents; every county in the country should have at least one mobile testing site by Friday — counties in hot spots like New York and South Florida need more than one; National Guard units, as well as active-duty military personnel, should be called upon to support these efforts; Governors in states with community spread need to take extreme measures to prevent large social interactions; in hot spots, social distancing measures need to be strictly enforced; protect supply chains for protective equipment for health care workers and first responders; crackdown on price-gouging.

“Casinos ask Congress for emergency aid as coronavirus toll sweeps industry” via Jeff Stein, Rachel Siegel and Jonathan O’Connell of The Washington Post — Casinos have joined the airline industry in asking Congress for emergency financial help as Las Vegas and other tourist destinations take a severe financial hit from the coronavirus outbreak. The requested aid for the casino companies, raised by lobbyists in recent days, could come in the form of a comprehensive bailout package, similar to what lawmakers may provide to airlines, cruise companies and the hospitality industry. Other possibilities include direct cash payments, deferred taxes or special bankruptcy protections, said two people with knowledge of the conversations.

“Trump taps Carlos Trujillo to be an Assistant Secretary of State” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The former state lawmaker was rumored for the post last year. The appointment will give Trujillo the power to influence U.S. policy with regard to Latin America and the Caribbean. He has been a sharp critic of several Latin American regimes. Most notably, he was an early backer of opposition leader Juan Guaidó of Venezuela as Guaidó attempted to wrest power from Nicolás Maduro. Trujillo will also serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). The IAF is an independent governmental agency created in 1969 to help develop communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Trujillo speaks both English and Spanish.

— STATEWIDE —

“Florida’s $500 million teacher raise plan gets mixed reviews” via Jeff Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — Karen Laroue is torn over the Florida Legislature’s new teacher pay raise plan. On the one hand, Laroue, 63, doesn’t stand to benefit from it much….She might see a 1 or 2 percent pay bump from the deal. On the other hand, Laroue’s daughter, Taylor — a River Ridge High math teacher — will benefit much more. With three years in the system, she stands to see a pay hike of more than $10,000 under the package the House and Senate agreed to late Sunday.

“José Oliva outlines health precautions for Thursday budget vote” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — In a memo sent to House members and staff, Speaker Oliva outlined the special measures the House will take to ensure the health and well-being of people in the Capitol Thursday. Health screening stations will be set up at the side entrances on either side of the House chamber, which will provide the only access to the floor, the Speaker’s Office, and the Members’ Lounge. The House will offer lunchboxes to members an hour later. Staff will be required to take a screening at 8 a.m. before entering the chamber, and lawmakers are encouraged to take a 10 a.m. screening. That screening includes a no-touch thermometer and a series of questions to determine an individual’s risk level.

“Local projects, programs spread through new state budget” via News Service of Florida — Scattered throughout a $93.2 billion budget set to go before the House and Senate on Thursday are more than 750 line items — collectively exceeding $400 million — tied to proposals lawmakers filed months ago to bring money to regions they represent. The proposals, which are in the newly negotiated budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, offer money for water-improvement projects, schools, roads, law enforcement, courts and social-service organizations. But critics deride such spending as pork, fiscal fat that can be cut — or “turkeys” in a Tallahassee term. As the 2020 Legislative Session got underway, House members filed 1,624 separate bills seeking nearly $2.3 billion to bring back home. Senators filled out 1,580 appropriations forms that called for almost $2.5 billion in funding.

“PETA urges veto of fireworks measure” via the News Service of Florida — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants DeSantis to veto a bill that would allow Floridians to buy fireworks for use three days a year legally. The animal rights group expressed concerns that the proposal approved by the Legislature last week “would endanger the state’s most vulnerable residents of many species.” The bill (SB 140) would allow people 18 and older to buy fireworks to use on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Independence Day. The letter sent by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk expressed concerns about the effects of noise and smoke on animals and humans.

“Trial lawyers credit campaign contributions for Session wins“ — Coral Gables trial attorney Ben Alvarez said that “intelligent and inconspicuous” political contributions helped trial lawyers prevail in major policy battles in the 2020 Legislative Session, Matt Dixon and Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO Florida report. The email was sent to “friends and colleagues,” updating them on legislative victories in the Session. In addition to contributions, Alvarez said lobbyist Manny Reyes played a key role. “Together with Manny, my partners Leo, Paul, Brian and I stomped the halls of the Capitol, drafted comprehensive legislation and contributed funds to certain members in an intelligent and inconspicuous manner.” Alvarez reiterated to POLITICO that the contributions were just one reason the firm had a successful Session.

“Former state official alleges job retaliation” via the News Service of Florida — A longtime former state employee has filed a lawsuit against DeSantis’ office, alleging she was rejected for a position at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities after being a whistleblower at another agency. Teddi Pitts, a former executive director of the Florida Transportation Commission, filed the lawsuit in Leon County circuit court. Pitts also filed a lawsuit last year against the transportation commission and the Florida Department of Transportation, alleging in part that she suffered retaliation after reporting an “irregularity” involving $5.5 billion in reserve funds in the Department of Transportation’s work program. Pitts filed whistleblower complaints and alleged that she ultimately submitted her resignation from the transportation commission “under duress” in January 2019.

— 2020 —

“Biden had another big primary night. Now coronavirus is freezing the 2020 race.” via Alex Roarty and David Catanese of McClatchy DC — Biden’s victories in another round of presidential primaries caps a whirlwind three weeks in which the former Vice President engineered a shock political turnaround and became the Democratic Party’s likely nominee. Now his campaign, and the rest of the primary itself, are about to come to a sudden and unprecedented halt. A race that has moved at a breakneck pace this year is about to go on a quasi-hiatus, thanks to a global outbreak of the coronavirus that has disrupted most facets of American life and forced government leaders and campaign officials to rethink how they conduct elections. “Many of the normal rules no longer apply,” said Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, who has endorsed Biden.

“Biden gets full Secret Service protection after security scares” via Grace Segers of CBS News — Biden is receiving full protection from the U.S. Secret Service, an agency spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday. Concerns about Biden’s safety were raised after protesters managed to rush the stage at an event earlier this month. “The U.S. Secret Service can confirm that we have initiated full protective coverage for Democratic Presidential Candidate and former Vice President Joseph Biden,” the spokesperson said. Biden’s campaign made an official request for Secret Service protection last week as he cemented his status as the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. The House Homeland Security Committee had previously asked congressional leaders and the Department of Homeland Security to determine whether Biden and fellow candidate Sanders should have protective details.

“Joe Geller named Florida legislative adviser for Biden presidential campaign” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Geller has supported Biden throughout the primary process. The Biden camp reached out to Geller late last week, confirming his role going forward. “Thank you for your continuous support of the Vice President and our campaign from the very beginning last spring,” the message reads. As a legislative adviser, Geller says he will be working with legislators and other parties who have endorsed the Biden campaign to build support heading into November.

— MORE FROM THE TRAIL — 

“Ross Spano draws tough primary challenge in Scott Franklin” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — U.S. Rep. Spano drew a primary challenger this week, according to filings with the Federal Division of Elections. Lakeland City Commissioner Franklin filed Monday to run against Spano. Franklin’s entrance into the race means Spano will have to use valuable resources warding off a primary challenge. Spano’s fundraising activity has been shaky, at best. As of the end of December, Spano had less than $125,000 on hand, with another more than $83,000 in debt obligations. That means his campaign was worth just over $41,000, a paltry sum for an incumbent congressional candidate. By comparison, Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in nearby District 13 had nearly $3 million on hand.

“New challengers emerge in HD 26, HD 110” via Florida Politics — Deland Republican Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff has drawn a challenger in her reelection bid and the race for the South Florida seat held by House Speaker Oliva continues to grow. Fetterhoff is being challenged by Democrat Evans Smith from Daytona Beach, who formally launched a campaign for HD 26. Smith joins fellow Democrat Patrick Henry, also from Daytona Beach, in the race to unseat Fetterhoff. HD 110, currently held by Oliva, also added a Democratic candidate. Annette Collazo joined fellow Democrat Diana Ahmed in running for the seat.

— LOCAL —

“Escambia County first responders limit fingerprinting, handle minor calls over phone” via Colin Warren-Hicks of the Pensacola News Journal — Law enforcement agencies in Escambia County want the public to know they are taking precautions to mitigate the transmission of coronavirus, but officers will still answer all calls for help. “We’ll come through this,” said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan at a press conference Tuesday with other Escambia County officials. “We’re Escambia County. We’re about as resilient as they come.” The sheriff also called on the public to “be a good neighbor” and stop hoarding supplies like food and toiletries, as well as personal stockpiles of ammunition. “Now, let me assure everybody, this is not going to be the zombie apocalypse,” Morgan said. “The folks that are in charge are very aware of what we’re dealing with.”

“Tampa Bay Times lays off deputy sports editor, at least two reporters” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — The Tampa Bay Times has laid off Deputy Sports Editor Mike Sherman and at least two reporters. “Some personal news: After three-plus years as @TBTimes_Sports editor (aka deputy editor | sports) I soon will be leaving. I have been laid off. I am grateful to all my @TB_Times colleagues and our community for their friendship and support,” he wrote. Daniel Figueroa IV, a digital producer for the paper who most recently was covering the coronavirus outbreak, had been laid off. Bob Putnam, who covered Pinellas County high schools, also announced he was laid off on Twitter. “I was laid off today after 24 years. So, if there are any job opportunities out there, let me know,” Putnam wrote.

— TOP OPINION —

“Financing an economic shutdown” via The Wall Street Journal editorial board — Well, that didn’t work. The Federal Reserve on Sunday went all-in with its 2008 bag of monetary tricks, and financial markets continued their stampede like frightened cattle. Someone has to turn the herd, and that will take new tools and better leadership than Washington is now providing. The Fed is deploying its tools from 2008, but this isn’t a bank solvency panic — at least not yet. This is a liquidity panic over how huge chunks of the U.S. economy will stay afloat while American commerce essentially stops. You can’t tell everyone to stay home for eight or 16 weeks, except to shop for groceries, and expect businesses to resume in July where they were in March like Rip Van CEOs.

— OPINIONS —

“Joe Henderson: DeSantis made a correct but tough call on closing bars” via Florida Politics — The best weapon against the COVID-19 seems to be isolation, which is why 5 o’clock Tuesday definitely was Unhappy Hour for Florida’s bars and nightclubs. And on St. Patrick’s Day, no less. That’s when the executive order by Gov. DeSantis to close those establishments throughout the state took effect. They will be dark for at least the next 30 days as leaders fight to contain a pandemic. He also added restrictions on restaurants and gave local municipalities the option of increasing those measures. It stinks for the people who work in those places and depend on tips. I won’t even add the customary “but” to that. It just stinks. The Governor has to make those choices sometimes, though.

“Mark Woods: We need to come together — by staying apart” via The Florida Times-Union — Tuesday was an Election Day unlike any other in our lifetime, one where a presidential primary became an afterthought, overshadowed by unfolding pandemic results. “We must stop this now as a community,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said one day earlier. “And we do that through social distancing.” It’s hard to believe that it was just a year ago that Curry cruised to reelection, saying a JEA sale was off the table, pledging to transform downtown and bring the entire city together. Now his immediate and urgent goal is to keep us apart. At least 6 feet apart. If the last year feels like a decade, well, then the last month feels like a century.

“Get ready: The coronavirus crisis may cripple Orlando’s economy” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — After years of booming, we were due for a correction. But the coronavirus correction took us straight from boom-times to a complete shutdown. Central Florida is also a community full of people who live on the edge of a financial cliff. One out of every four full-time jobs here pays less than $23,500. We rank dead last in median wages among America’s 50 largest metros. Our workforce cleans hotel rooms, parks cars, runs cash registers and barely gets by. They don’t have safety nets. This is a community full of people who are one car repair, one medical bill — one paycheck — away from economic disaster. Well, many of our neighbors are about to miss more than one paycheck.

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

 

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Happy Election Day! Éirinn go Brách and Go Vote!

A post shared by kevin sweeny (@djmia00) on Mar 17, 2020 at 12:18pm PDT

— ALOE —

“Why ‘Space Jam,’ ‘Freaks’ and Katherine Heigl rule Netflix” via John Jurgensen of The Wall Street Journal — Though Netflix originals make up about 30% of all the movies and TV in the company’s catalog, they typically represent about 50% of the titles presented on its homepage, according to U.K. research firm Ampere Analysis, which tracks what Netflix serves up in 40 countries. Netflix confirmed the chart uses the same metric revealed earlier this year — the company counts a program as watched if a user views at least two minutes of it. The streamer’s algorithms use connections like these to serve up content to predisposed viewers.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Celebrating today are Andy Ford, formerly of the Florida Education Association, Ron Matus of Step Up for Students, Orlando Pryor of The Strategos Group, and former Rep. Deborah Tamargo.

___

Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.