Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 4.6.20

Now live — a very incomplete, rushed edition of INFLUENCE. An edition that I sincerely hope is not the last.

The staff of Florida Politics was hard at work on the post-Session edition of INFLUENCE Magazine when, almost overnight, the new coronavirus changed everything.

With a pandemic locking us in our homes, we feel it is inappropriate to direct our efforts toward luxurious feature stories.

But we still had some good content, some that could provide our loyal readers a welcome respite from the increasingly gloomy news about this pandemic. And we especially wanted to share our selections for the winners emerging from the 2020 Legislative Session.

I promise INFLUENCE Magazine will be back in the fall, mainly because we will then be publishing our biannual list of the 100 most influential people in Florida politics.

Something tells me that list will be very different from previous editions.

Click here to view the latest edition of INFLUENCE Magazine.

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It is no secret that Florida’s unemployment claims system is a hot mess. That fact, and it is a fact, became painfully clear this week as claims skyrocketed beyond even the most historic levels ever before reported.

Gov. Ron DeSantis took a major hit for a system he didn’t develop.

The $77 million website that is now crumbling under the weight of out-of-work Floridians in the coronavirus economy, which is sending the nation into a tailspin, was developed under the administration of former Gov. Rick Scott who, as POLITICO speculated, might very well have sought to create a benefits system that didn’t benefit many Floridians.

“It’s a sh — sandwich, and it was designed that way by Scott,” said one DeSantis adviser, according to POLITICO, “It wasn’t about saving money. It was about making it harder for people to get benefits or keep benefits so that the unemployment numbers were low to give the governor something to brag about.”

Do you hear that? Scott was allegedly less interested in helping the unemployed as they searched for new work than he was in painting a (potentially false) image of a booming economy.

If that’s the case, Scott deserves to be held accountable. But this is not the time for DeSantis to brush it off as ‘not his problem.’

Consider that the fundamental failures with the state’s unemployment system have existed for the duration of DeSantis’ more than one year as Governor. Not once before the pandemic created an employment crisis of epic proportions did the Governor attempt to fix it.

He only began taking steps, which were delayed even considering the timing of the crisis, after scores of jobless and desperate Floridians flocked to the figurative unemployment line.

It took him days to issue an executive order calling for an “all hands on deck” approach, allocating state workers from other departments to help manage the crisis. Days went by before he agreed to hop in the way back machine and allow job seekers to use paper applications for their unemployment claims.

Days may seem to be not that big of a deal in the pre-coronavirus era, but today those days are precious. Every day that goes by could be one more day a family goes without food. These are people who, even before outright losing a job, might have already experienced weeks of financial decline as the economy gradually ground to a halt.

On top of that, DeSantis is still resisting calls to increase the shameful amount of benefits Florida offers. At just $275 a week for only 12 weeks, Florida has one of the stingiest unemployment benefit options in the nation.

In a lean economy, one could make the conservative argument that the benefit is reasonable, one at which more liberal-minded constituents would balk. But in these times, times when finding a new job might not be an option for some, it’s laughable that DeSantis has sat on the sidelines and given a thumbs-up to the system by way of sheer complacency.

But there’s good news, Governor. It’s not too late to get it right. Now is the time to employ that Navy discipline to your office; flex that fancy Harvard education and identify meaningful and, yes, creative solutions.

Through broad executive power, a power strengthened further through the state of emergency you declared, you can order better benefits for longer periods to help make families whole again; to help them weather this storm.

You absolutely can direct state funds to fix the ravaged website causing, not the unemployment crisis itself, but the gross inability for people to seek the need they help and deserve.

Remember, Governor, that this influx in joblessness is not a result of laziness. These are not people who slacked off and got fired. They weren’t trying to bamboozle taxpayers into paying their way. They’re not welfare queens.

They’re furloughed bartenders and waiters. They’re hardworking moms and dads whose jobs, and in many cases second and third jobs, were taken away by a virus we still don’t understand and can’t seem to control.

Pick up your pen and do the right thing.

If you do it now, history might forget your delay in issuing a stay-at-home order and remember your compassion for those who lost their jobs.

But if you delay, all of the good you have done for the environment, for teachers, for clean water, could be erased with one failure to act.

— EXECUTIVE SUMMARY — 

— With more than 324,000 infected, the U.S. has nearly 200,000 more confirmed cases than any other country in the world, per the Johns Hopkins coronavirus database. The U.S. death toll was climbing toward 10,000 on Sunday. Worldwide, there have been more than 1.280,046 cases confirmed and 69,555 deaths.

— Queen Elizabeth II appealed to Britons to exercise self-discipline in “an increasingly challenging time” as the country saw a record 24-hour jump in coronavirus deaths. Read more here.

— UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the hospital for tests after lingering coronavirus symptoms. Read more here.

— U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned Americans that this week is going to be “the hardest and the saddest” since the coronavirus struck the country. Read more here.

— At least one-fourth of the U.S. economy has suddenly gone idle amid the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented shutdown of commerce that has darkened stores from Manhattan to Gilpin County, Colorado, an analysis conducted for The Wall Street Journal shows. Read more here.

— TOP STORIES —

“Dr. Anthony Fauci: U.S. is ‘struggling’ to get coronavirus under control and to say otherwise would be wrong” via Nicky Robertson and Devan Cole of CNN — Fauci warned Americans in an interview on CBS that “it is going to be a bad week” ahead as there is an escalation in cases, but that “within a week” or so the number of cases should start to flatten out. “Are you saying, doctor, despite the deaths that we may see, that mitigation is working, and that you do have this outbreak under control?” CBS’ Margaret Brennan asked Fauci. “I will not say we have it under control, Margaret. That would be a false statement. We are struggling to get it under control, and that’s the issue that’s at hand right now,” Fauci replied.

“Florida saw a pandemic coming and prepared. Then state leaders started to cut.” via Neil Bedi and Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — Fifteen years ago, Florida braced for a pandemic. Officials knew as early as 2005 that an outbreak could devastate the state and infect much of the population. They wrote reports predicting a crisis remarkably similar to the one playing out now: a virus that could infect more than a million Florida residents. And they responded in force, bolstering DOH to combat a potential crisis. But that operation was dismantled by Governors and lawmakers more worried about the bottom line. They slashed research funding, cut thousands of jobs, and ignored gaps in the state’s defense against fast-spreading diseases. Florida now has fewer epidemiologists per resident than most of the country and has cut back on statewide pandemic drills.

“Coronavirus case counts are meaningless*” via Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight — If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know I’m constantly going on about how the number of COVID-19 cases is not a very useful indicator of anything — unless you also know something about how tests are being conducted. If you’re a regular reader of FiveThirtyEight, you’re probably used to looking at data in sports — where basically everything that happens on a basketball court or a baseball diamond is recorded — or in electoral politics, when polls (in theory, anyway) survey a random sample of the population. COVID-19 statistics, especially the number of reported cases, are not at all like that. The data, at best, is highly incomplete, and often the tip of the iceberg for much more significant problems. And data on tests and the number of reported cases is highly nonrandom.

“South Florida congressman, now officially coronavirus-free, applies to donate plasma” via Anthony Man of the Sun Sentinel — U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, one of the first two members of Congress to test positive for the new coronavirus, said Sunday he is free of the disease though he’s not back to full strength. The South Florida Republican said on Twitter that he was “able to reunite with my family in Miami.”

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@IsaacDevore: The argument some [Donald] Trump aides and defenders have made is he was so distracted by impeachment he couldn’t focus as much on coronavirus preparations. In the middle of the pandemic, he found time to focus on firing the inspector general central to sparking impeachment.

—@FactBasedFeed: Not even remotely of note: The #Trump daily presser was the same length as Episodes 1 and 2 of #TigerKing, with enough time left over for part of Carole‘s story in Tiger King Episode 3.

—@JoeBiden: Captain [Brett] Crozier was faithful to his duty — both to his sailors and his country. Navy leadership sent a chilling message about speaking truth to power. The poor judgment here belongs to the Trump Admin, not a courageous officer trying to protect his sailors.

—@MarioDB: Today, after being deemed #COVID19 free by my doctor, I was able to reunite with my family in Miami. Though still a bit weak, I feel well, & I applied to participate in the @RedCross plasma donation to help those with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections.

Tweet, tweet:

While this is only 1 of close to 11,000 constituents I’ve texted today… this is part of what is wrong with our country. pic.twitter.com/1b57owTfIR

— Dan Daley (@DanDaley) April 5, 2020

—@RonTimes: Reporter on @CNN doing a piece on Holy Week services actually uttered the phrase “until the resurrection of regular traditions …” ugh!

—@AndrewBrandt: A veteran NFL player reached out to me this week with this question: “If they tell us we’re playing again, even without fans, do we have to play? What if our personal doctor advises against it?” Good questions; so many more like it will be raised.

—@RealMichaelW: Me Three Weeks Ago: oh, look at all those cars. They must be having a party. Me Today: Those Monsters.

Tweet, tweet:

A little HOPEful message from our friends at the Tampa Airport Marriott ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u5ONFAuHFl

— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) April 3, 2020

— DAYS UNTIL —

Passover begins — 2; Quibi launches — 3; Third-season premiere of “Killing Eve” — 6; Easter — 6; First quarter campaign reports due — 12; Last day of federal candidate qualifying — 16; NFL Draft — 17; Florida Schools reopen (maybe) — 25; Gov. DeSantis’ executive order closing bars and restaurants expires — 32; Mother’s Day — 34; TNT’s adaptation of “Snowpiercer” premieres — 41; Last day of state candidate qualifying — 63; Federal taxes due — 100; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 102; “Mulan” premieres — 109; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 133; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 134; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 140; “A Quiet Place Part II” premieres — 151; First presidential debate in Indiana — 176; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 184; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 192; Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” premieres — 193; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 199; 2020 General Election — 211; “Black Widow” premieres — 214; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 225; “No Time to Die” premieres — 233; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 261; New start date for 2021 Olympics — 473; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 480; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 578; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 683.

— FILLING THE LEADERSHIP VOID —

St. Pete Polls was not alone in its findings.

A new survey put out by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab shows less than half of Florida voters think Trump is doing a good job piloting the country through the coronavirus pandemic, outnumbering the fans 53%-45%.

DeSantis numbers are stronger, but not by much. The PORL Poll found 51% of Florida voters approve of his response efforts while 46% find them lacking.

Meanwhile, Floridians’ coronavirus fears are rising logarithmically — near 80% are either “somewhat concerned” or “very concerned” of contracting the virus.

Their source of comfort through the ordeal comes from the straight-talking virus expert that’s become a staple on cable news in recent weeks: Dr. Fauci.

To Floridians, Fauci is the most popular public figure involved in the combined state and federal virus response effort, with no other official within 30 points of him. He’s above water 85%-6%, a tally that U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Scott can’t replicate even if they pooled their fans, as each measured in below 40% approval.

Still, the coronavirus era has been a boon, polling wise, to local officials.

Leaders in cities and counties were stay-at-home orders dropped early are seeing a quick return on their decisions. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, for instance, has a 78% approval rating among voters in her city. Jax Mayor Lenny Curry, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer are also well above 50% approval.

“Relative to Trump and DeSantis’ support, Mayors and local government have filled the leadership void and been rewarded with high levels of support,” PORL Director Michael Binder noted. “Even though this job approval was asked specifically about the COVID-19 response, a mayor like Curry who has had a really tough year, has at least turned public opinion on this issue.”

— CORONA NATION —

“Surgeon General says coming week will ‘be our Pearl Harbor moment’; Queen Elizabeth II to speak in rare broadcast” via Marisa Iati, Adam Taylor, Kim Bellware, Meryl Kornfield, Jesse Dougherty, Candace Buckner and Hannah Knowles of The Washington Post — U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the coming week could be a national catastrophe comparable to Pearl Harbor or 9/11, echoing Trump’s dire prognostication. Experts say Americans are almost certainly dying of COVID-19 but being left out of the official count of more than 9,000 deaths. In a rare broadcast, Queen Elizabeth II called on the British people to show their self-discipline and quiet resolve during the pandemic. Pope Francis marked Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in a service surrounded by only a few aids and a handful of clergy after the annual public ceremony in St. Peter’s Square was scrapped.

“Americans are almost certainly dying of COVID-19 but being left out of the official count” via Emma Brown, Beth Reinhard and Aaron Davis of The Washington Post — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counts only deaths in which the presence of the coronavirus is confirmed in a laboratory test. “We know that it is an underestimation,” agency spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said. A widespread lack of access to testing in the early weeks means people with respiratory illnesses died without being counted, epidemiologists say. Even now, some people who die at home or in overburdened nursing homes are not being tested, according to funeral directors, medical examiners and nursing home representatives. Post-mortem testing by medical examiners varies widely across the country, and some officials say testing the dead is a misuse of scarce resources that could be used on the living.

“All across the United States, the coronavirus is killing more men than women, data show” via Chris Mooney, Sarah Kaplan and Brady Dennis — In most states, slightly more women are getting infected than men. But of more than 3,600 deaths in 13 states and New York City that report fatalities by gender, the majority of victims are men. The disproportionate toll of the virus appears to have deep biological roots. An emerging body of research has revealed that women’s bodies are better at fighting off infection, thanks to the hormones in their systems and the genes on their two X chromosomes. Scientists say these differences may partly explain why men have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. And they may provide a vital clue in the search for a cure.

“The U.S. was beset by denial and dysfunction as the coronavirus raged” via Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller of The Washington Post — The United States will likely go down as the country that was supposedly best prepared to fight a pandemic but ended up catastrophically overmatched by the novel coronavirus, sustaining heavier casualties than any other nation. It did not have to happen this way. Though not perfectly prepared, the United States had more expertise, resources, plans and epidemiological experience than dozens of countries that ultimately fared far better in fending off the virus. It may never be known how many thousands of deaths, or millions of infections, might have been prevented with a response that was more coherent, urgent and effective. But even now, there are many indications that the administration’s handling of the crisis had potentially devastating consequences.

—“24 hours in a pandemic nation” via The New York Times

“The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. could be ‘well short’ of recent estimates from top health officials if social distancing measures are done properly, Bill Gates says” via Bloomberg

“Face coverings recommended, but Donald Trump says he won’t wear a mask” via The Associated Press — Trump announced new federal guidelines Friday recommending that Americans wear masks when in public to help fight the spread of the new coronavirus. The president immediately said he had no intention of following that advice himself, saying, “I’m choosing not to do it.” The new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people, especially in areas hit hard by the spread of the coronavirus, to use rudimentary coverings like T-shirts, bandannas and nonmedical masks to cover their faces while outdoors. The president exempted himself from his administration’s own guidelines, saying he could not envision himself covering his face while sitting in the Oval Office greeting world leaders.

“Trump mobilizes the White House to tackle coronavirus but adds to the ‘fog of war’” via Michael C. Bender and Rebecca Ballhaus of The Wall Street Journal — As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the U.S., Trump has put the government on what officials describe as a war footing. He has ordered private companies to manufacture supplies, deployed parts of the military, restricted travel, led daily public briefings and pushed officials to deliver relief. The government’s response has ramped up, even as the White House’s own routines are disrupted in ways large and small. About 75% of staff are working from home; some of the rest now wear masks to work. In the Oval Office, where officials usually crowd around the Resolute Desk, they now maintain their social distance.

Trump admin tells governors to step up — Surgeon General Adams says the onus is on states to source medical equipment to care for people infected with the new coronavirus. As reported by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Nolan McCaskill of POLITICO Pro, during a Sunday appearance on Meet the Press, Adams told states to “be Rosie The Riveter” and “do your part” rather than plead for aid from the federal government. The sentiment didn’t play well with governors of either party. “This is ludicrous,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat. “The surgeon general referred to Pearl Harbor. Can you imagine if Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, ‘We’ll be right behind you, Connecticut. Good luck building those battleships?’

“Some states receive masks with dry rot, broken ventilators” via Kim Chandler of The Associated Press — Some states and cities that have been shipped masks, gloves, ventilators and other essential equipment from the nation’s medical stockpile to fight the coronavirus have gotten an unwelcome surprise: the material is unusable. Nearly 6,000 medical masks sent to Alabama had dry rot and a 2010 expiration date. More than 150 ventilators sent to Los Angeles were broken and had to be repaired. In Oregon, it was masks with faulty elastic that could cause the straps to snap, exposing medical workers to the disease.

“Should U.S. states be free to close their borders to other U.S. citizens?” via Sara Wallace Goodman of The Washington Post — Hoping to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, public officials are turning to a controversial tactic: trying to impose rules on interstate travel. Governors in states as different as Hawaii and Rhode Island are requiring Americans coming from states with high rates of the virus to self-quarantine or asking them not to come at all. Americans are fairly evenly divided on whether closing state borders is acceptable. Differences in opinion do not seem to divide by party. This suggests people don’t yet have strong opinions.

“Secretary of Defense Mark Esper: Converted NYC convention center will be ‘largest hospital in the United States’” via William Cummings of USA Today — Esper said Sunday that the Pentagon will deploy more than 1,100 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to New York City. More than 2,250 deaths occurred in New York City where the Army Corps of Engineers converted the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center into a large hospital. Esper said most of the health care personnel deployed to New York City will serve in the converted center. It will have a 2,500-bed capacity. The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is docked in New York to assist with the crisis but is treating only a few dozen patients. Esper explained that the ship was being used to treat only trauma patients to ease the burden on the city’s hospitals and keep non-COVID-19 patients from becoming infected.

“An unhealthy military is struggling to fight COVID-19” via Kathy Gilsinan of The Atlantic — An outbreak on an aircraft carrier. Infections in basic training. Office-bound contractors unable to work from home. The coronavirus has hit the military-industrial complex, and this is not an enemy it knows how to fight. The U.S. armed forces and their supporting industries, with people wedged into shared barracks or in 96-person ship berths sleeping inches away from one another, are especially vulnerable to the spread of the virus. The military is also the world’s largest employer, with more than 3 million on the Defense Department payroll alone — not even counting legions of contractors that assist the entire enterprise. The virus now threatens to be deadlier to U.S. citizens than any of America’s recent armed conflicts.

“430,000 people have traveled from China to U.S. since coronavirus surfaced” via Steve Eder, Henry Fountain, Michael H. Keller, Muyi Xiao and Alexandra Stevenson of The New York Times — The bulk of the passengers, who were of multiple nationalities, arrived in January, at airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Newark and Detroit. Thousands of them flew directly from Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, as American public health officials were only beginning to assess the risks to the United States. Flights continued this past week, the data show, with passengers traveling from Beijing to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, under rules that exempt Americans and some others from the clampdown that took effect on Feb. 2. In all, 279 flights from China have arrived in the United States since then, and screening procedures have been uneven, interviews show.

“U.S. cast as culprit in global scrum over coronavirus supplies” via Nahal Toosi of POLITICO — The coronavirus pandemic is pushing countries around the world into a cutthroat competition for medical resources — and the United States is being cast as a leading villain. Trump’s administration stands accused of effectively hijacking shipments of masks and additional crucial supplies meant for other countries, including U.S. allies, and strong-arming private firms to prioritize America over other parts of the world. On Friday, Trump announced he was invoking the Defense Production Act to restrict U.S. exports of critical medical gear.

“Amid coronavirus pandemic, black mistrust of medicine looms” via Aaron Morrison and Jay Reeves of The Associated Press — Rahmell Peebles, a 30-year-old black man, initially didn’t see the need for alarm over the virus. “I felt it was a complete hoax,” Peebles said. “This thing happens every two or four years.” Peebles, a 30-year-old black man who’s skeptical of what he hears from the news media and government, initially didn’t see the need for alarm over the virus. “I felt it was a complete hoax,” Peebles said. “This thing happens every two or four years. We have an outbreak of a disease that seems to put everybody in a panic.” “I’ve just been conditioned not to trust,” said Peebles, who is now obeying the state’s stay home order and keeping his distance from others when he goes out.

“Crime rates plummet amid coronavirus pandemic, but not everyone is safer in their home” via Kenny Jacoby, Mike Stucka and Kristine Phillips of the USA Today — Police logged dramatically fewer calls for service, crime incidents and arrests in the last two weeks of March than each of the previous six weeks. Massive drops in traffic and person stops helped drive sharp declines in drug offenses and DUIs. Thefts and residential burglaries decreased with fewer stores open and homes unoccupied, and some agencies logged fewer assaults and robberies. Calls for domestic disturbances and violence surged by between 10% and 30% among many police agencies that contributed data. Several also saw upticks in public nuisance complaints such as loud noise from parties.

“America was unprepared for a major crisis. Again.” via Dan Balz of The Washington Post — When the public looked to the government for help during the coronavirus pandemic, the government sometimes looked helpless or frozen or contradictory and not for the first time. The government was unprepared for the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the financial crisis of 2008, and Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina. In interviews over the past two weeks, senior officials from administrations of both parties, many with firsthand experience in dealing with major crises, suggest that the president and his administration have fallen short of nearly every standard a government should try to meet.

— CORONA SURVEY —

Nearly nine out of 10 Floridians support Gov. DeSantis’ decision to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, according to the most recent survey by St. Pete Polls.

The poll, commissioned by Florida Politics, found 86% backed the order compared to just 6% who opposed it. The balance was unsure.

St. Pete Polls took the measure April 2-3, which covers the period immediately before and after the order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

The order’s high popularity correlates with Floridians’ fears of the novel coronavirus — more than three-quarters of the more than 4,000 voters polled said they were “very worried” about the virus, a double-digit increase from a fortnight ago.

Another 18% said they were somewhat worried, and just 8% said they were not very worried about the virus that has killed more than 200 Floridians.

A second “invisible threat” is also taking root: 41% of those polled say their mental health is on the decline, including about one in eighth who say their mental state has cratered over the past few weeks.

While the order itself is welcome, the delay in DeSantis’ issuance may have cost him a few points in his heretofore stellar poll numbers.

Nearly 29% of respondents said they trusted DeSantis “not very much” compared with just 19% in the previous poll. Meanwhile, only 40% showed significant trust in the Governor, down from 45% two weeks ago.

Still, Floridians find the Governor more trustworthy than the President by leaps and bounds.

Per the survey, just 17% of Democrats offered the highest level of trust for Trump compared to 69% of Republicans. On the inverse, two-thirds of Democrats don’t trust Trump compared to just 17% of Republicans who do.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“A pandemic meets hurricane season in Florida: What could go wrong?” via Kimberly Miller of the Palm Beach Post — Emergency managers run drills on handling coinciding catastrophes to prepare for the unexpected. But most disaster plots don’t include a monthslong international pandemic sapping resources globally from aid groups and governments while leaving millions unemployed. The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said Florida’s peak may not be reached until May 2, with an average of 36 deaths statewide per day still occurring on June 1. DeSantis said last week in West Palm Beach that he is aware of the forecasts calling for another active season. A complication for hurricane preparedness officials to deal with as far as whether residents who are potentially sick or confirmed positive with coronavirus will be sent to separate shelter facilities should a hurricane make landfall.

“Florida emergency management chief says state will have enough ICU beds and ventilators” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — “I have full confidence that we’ll be able to meet the ICU capacity,” state Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz said in an interview. “We feel that we’ll be able to meet the capacity as far as the beds, or the potential bed issue, or the potential issue with ventilators.” Asked about a projected peak need in early May of 2,500 beds and current capacity of less than 1,700, Moskowitz said the state bought, and has received 4,300 hospital beds. He said the beds the state bought, and the ability of hospitals to convert existing beds to intensive care beds, should be enough to meet the projected need.

“Florida nursing homes getting help with staff shortages; could get rapid COVID-19 tests” via Liz Freeman of the Fort Myers News-Press — Nursing homes in Florida are getting some relief from a shortage of caregivers due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry leaders. Also, DeSantis, on Friday, told nursing home leaders he wants to send some COVID-19 rapid tests to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities for testing the elderly. On a conference call with the Florida Health Care Association, which represents the nursing home industry, DeSantis suggested the rapid tests could be used for “spot checks” of residents. “I’m fully supportive of that,” he said. DeSantis did not commit how many rapid tests the state will allocate to nursing homes and long-term care facilities that are home to upward of 150,000 elderly people.

“State health officials: More than 100K Floridians tested for coronavirus” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Florida has tested more than 100,000 Floridians and visitors for the novel coronavirus, crossing a threshold that puts the state in the top three in total testing. “This is an incredible achievement by any measure, and it is all due to the hard work and great sacrifice by Florida’s thousands of health care workers and first responders who are on the front lines of this fight,” DeSantis said in a statement. The Governor has indicated the state’s immediate testing goal is to reach about 106,500, or about one in every 200 Floridians.

“Florida is building a coronavirus app. It’s not clear what it will do” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — The state so far has paid $443,239 to Missouri-based World Wide Technology to develop the app under an executive order the Governor signed giving him broad spending authority outside of the state’s normal procurement laws. DeSantis mentioned the app, which will use Google-developed cloud software. His comments were in the context of new travel guidelines that required people from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in Florida. “We have a contract now with one of the Google apps, so we will be able to make this digital very soon. I told the Department of Health to go forward with that. That will make it even easier for us to do,” DeSantis said.

“In Florida’s broken unemployment system, the poor who need it the most are being left behind” via Chabeli Carrazana of the Orlando Sentinel — The page on the screen stalls for a minute, then two full minutes before kicking back an error message: Florida’s unemployment application process has experienced “an unexpected technical error,” the message tells the recently laid off and homeless Arthur Riley on Wednesday morning. It’s been nearly an hour into applying on a state system whose inefficiency is now far from unexpected. These people, many of them living in poverty, without access to a computer, or in other cases, for whom language is a barrier, are the most vulnerable and the most in need of the state’s $275 a week in unemployment benefits — one of the lowest payouts in the nation. Without UP Orlando’s help, Riley would have no idea how to start his application.

“Health department officials want Floridians to take online coronavirus survey” via Lamaur Stancil of the Pensacola News Journal — The Department of Health is seeking Florida residents to respond to a 10-step online survey about the coronavirus. The “Stronger than COVID-19” anonymous survey was launched Saturday. The questions cover demographic information, recent travel history, health history and habit changes in response to the social distancing push by health officials. The survey also encourages people to continue with social distancing and proper etiquette when coughing or sneezing.

“‘Ticking time bomb:’ Florida acknowledges first coronavirus case of prison inmate” via Martin Vassolo and Ben Conarck of the Miami Herald — After weeks of assuring the public there are no cases of coronavirus among the state’s nearly 95,000 prisoners — without saying whether significant numbers of prisoners had been tested — the Florida Department of Corrections has acknowledged its first positive test for an inmate. One lawmaker called the situation in the state’s prison system, which employs 24,000 staffers, a “ticking time bomb,” although another said the department was doing an “exceptional job.” Michelle Glady, a prison system spokeswoman, would not say how many inmates have been tested because “testing numbers are constantly changing.” The prisoner with the positive test, whose name was not released, had been locked up at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility near Pensacola, a private prison under the state’s purview run by the GEO Group.

“With parks closed, Disney starts furloughs in 2 weeks” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press — Walt Disney Co. officials announced they would start furloughing some workers in two weeks at its theme park resorts in Florida and California. The first wave of furloughs will begin on April 19 and involve workers whose jobs aren’t necessary at this time. Anyone furloughed will remain a Disney employee. The announcement didn’t say how many of Walt Disney World’s more than 75,000 employees or Disneyland’s 31,000 workers would be furloughed, but it would involve executive, salaried, and hourly nonunion employees. Furloughed workers will continue to receive full health care benefits, plus Disney will pay the cost of employee and company premiums.

“Chris King pushes ‘stimulus challenge’ to promote humanitarian efforts” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — As Floridians yearn for some way to help others during the coronavirus crisis that has sickened thousands and collapsed much of Florida’s economy, former Lieutenant Governor nominee King wants to help highlight the opportunities. King, chief executive officer of Elevation Financial in Winter Park, has issued a social media-driven “Stimulus Challenge” for the next couple of months in which he’s challenging others to point out ways they are or can help people in need and offering to match many donations from his own fortune.

— FLORIDA ON THE MOVE —

Floridians clearly are spending more time at home and far less time going to retail stores, parks, and workplaces, according to new reports from Google.

The “Community Mobility Report” breaks down movement by location and displays the change in people’s visits to places like grocery stores and parks. The data reports are like ones produced recently by a company called Unacast and by The New York Times.

In Florida, the Google reports show people stopped going as much to retail and recreation centers around March 10. And by March 29, such movement had dropped off a full 50% from what had been normal before March 10. That includes restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theaters. Many of those have closed through various orders, and individual decisions.

For about a week in mid-March, trips to grocery stores and pharmacies increased until it fell 26% compared with normal by March 29.

Floridians’ trips to parks, public beaches, marinas, dog parks, plazas, and public gardens fell off 48% from the baseline, with the drop coming mainly after about March 15. Many of those have closed as well.

Trips to transit locations — primarily bus and train stations — fell 63%. Workplace trips started to fall off around March 15 and, by March 29, was down 41%.

Data also shows a 13% increase for being in private homes, perhaps due to stay-at-home ethos and orders.

— CORONA LOCAL —

“Broward County mandates social distancing in essential businesses, shuts down basketball courts and golf courses” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — A new Emergency Order from Broward County is closing golf courses, pools, basketball and tennis courts to help maintain social distancing efforts inside the county. The order also sets up mandatory social distancing efforts inside essential businesses still operating throughout the county. It will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Those businesses “shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that all persons on site maintain appropriate social distancing, as recommended by the current CDC guidance, particularly in the checkout, pickup, or takeout areas, and also in employee break rooms and common use areas,” the order reads.

“Expect Broward schools to stay online for rest of the school year, superintendent says” via Colleen Wright of the Miami Herald — Broadcast from his home, Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie in a video address Friday night summed up the school district’s first week of online learning — and predicted this would be the new norm for the rest of the school year. “We recognize that the pandemic will continue to grow and anticipate more challenging conditions emerging over the next several weeks,” he said. “Consequently, it is reasonable for all of us to plan for continuing distance learning through the end of the school year.”

“After hours waiting for Miami hospital bed, cruise passenger’s family calls 911. It was too late” via Alex Harris of the Miami Herald — After waiting four hours for a desperately needed hospital bed and ventilator, family members of a COVID-19 patient onboard the Coral Princess called 911, rather than continuing to wait on the cruise line to get their loved one to safety. Wilson Maa, 71, needed help — fast. A few hours after five other people onboard the cruise ship docked in Port Miami were hospitalized, Maa became much sicker. His oxygen level dropped perilously low around 5 p.m., forcing ship medical staff to put him on a manual ventilator, the kind someone hand pumps to keep a patient’s lungs breathing. But the ship’s doctor told Maa’s family there were no hospital beds available, and ambulances were on “lockdown.”

“These 55K South Floridians were struggling to pay rent. Then COVID-19 took their jobs” via Sarah Blaskey, Rene Rodriguez and Nicholas Nehamas of the Miami Herald — Herbert Polite hasn’t worked up the nerve to call his landlord yet. The COVID-19 pandemic savaging South Florida’s tourism-driven economy has cost Polite, a 32-year old massage therapist, both his jobs at the Mondrian South Beach hotel and Equinox gym in Aventura. Now his rent is due: $1,300. “I don’t know how I’m going to pay for things,” said Polite, who rents a two-bedroom home in Little Haiti with his fiancee. “I’ve had a lot of people reach out to ask if I need help, but I keep saying no, not yet, because things haven’t gotten nearly as bad as they’re going to.”

“Masks will soon be mandatory for employees, customers in Miami Beach” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Miami Beach now requires employees and customers at grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants to wear face masks as a precautionary measure during the novel coronavirus outbreak. The new requirement will go into effect on Tuesday, April 7. The city does not require individuals to wear medical-grade masks, which are still in short supply and are being prioritized for members of the medical community. The move comes after the federal government has shifted its stance on the mask issue. Early on in the outbreak, federal officials recommended healthy people should not wear masks, arguing they would not help slow the spread of the virus without being properly fitted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending healthy individuals wear non-medical-grade masks.

“‘Too much to lose.’ Why a Miami man moved into a backyard tent during coronavirus crisis” via Carlos Frias of the Miami Herald — Rain dripped into his tent and woke John Delgado before the sun could. Beneath a pounding rain, he quickly scrambled, careful not to trip into his backyard pool in the dark. He dragged the air mattress from his Coleman camping tent into the pool bathroom that acts as an airlock between himself and the rest of his family asleep inside their Homestead house. Delgado has spent the last two weeks living in this tent in his backyard to avoid the possibility of infecting his family with the coronavirus. He’s a front-line staffer for a food bank, Farm Share, where he oversees free groceries being handed out to thousands of people weekly at drop sites throughout South Florida.

“Miami, you are grossing us out by throwing your used latex gloves everywhere” via Connie Ogle of the Miami Herald — Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, disposable gloves are now part of our attire. Daily if we have to leave the house to go to work. Weekly if we’re only venturing out to seek sustenance and/or beer. So why are they all over the place instead of on our hands or in the garbage? Walk around. You’ll see them everywhere. On the street. On the sidewalk. In the alley. On the floor. But somehow, never in the garbage. So we are gonna say it to you slowly, so it’s easy to follow. We might even say it twice. Consider it a public service announcement that will make you less of a terrible person: Throw your used gloves in the garbage. Tira tus guantes usados en la basura.

“Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office deputy dies, cases top 900” via Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post — Sgt. Jose Diaz Ayala, a Palm Beach County deputy since 2006, died Saturday from COVID-19. He was just 38 but was also battling other underlying health issues before he contracted the deadly respiratory virus, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said. Ayala, who worked as a corrections deputy until being promoted to sergeant in January of 2016, is survived by three daughters, two sisters, his mother and father. The youngest person from Palm Beach County whose death is reflected in Department of Health records was 64, meaning Sgt. Ayala’s death has not yet been recorded. The lag time before the health department confirms and records deaths can be as long as a week.

“Amid COVID-19 fears, Monroe jail ends lucrative contract, gives ICE back its detainees” via Monique O. Madan of the Miami Herald — After nearly 23 years of housing immigration inmates for the federal government, the Monroe County detention center in Key West abruptly severed its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials confirmed. The move to quietly bus 48 detainees from the Monroe County detention center on Stock Island to the Krome detention center in Miami-Dade County in the middle of the night Friday was made after the sheriff’s office requested that all immigration inmates be picked up and transferred out.

— MORE LOCAL —

“22-year-old Jacksonville woman talks about life with coronavirus” via Andrew Pantazi of the Florida Times-Union — The 22-year-old, who spoke anonymously, said she noticed she was starting to have the symptoms associated with the coronavirus but she didn’t believe young people really got serious symptoms from the virus. She and her boyfriend both were tested and the results came back positive. In the days since, they’ve been locked inside their apartment. She said she tries to stand up and walk every few hours, but she finds herself dizzy, coughing and gasping for breath. Her boyfriend’s symptoms haven’t been as severe as hers, but they both have to use an inhaler anytime they want to get up to get something.

“Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson tests negative for coronavirus, will still self-isolate” via Jim Little of the Pensacola News Journal — Pensacola Mayor Robinson has tested negative for the coronavirus but will continue to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for two weeks, per federal guidelines. The Mayor announced Friday evening that his test results from earlier in the day had returned as negative. Earlier on Friday, the Mayor announced he was quarantining as he waited for his test results after his son tested positive for COVID-19. Grover Robinson V, the Mayor’s son, is recovering at the family’s home. He is reportedly doing well and expects to make a full recovery. In an abundance of caution, City Hall will be deep cleaned and sanitized over the weekend, in addition to other cleaning measures already taking place.

“A Pinellas jail deputy has coronavirus. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says it’s under control” via Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times — An employee of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, on Saturday. Gualtieri said the employee had not been to work since March 19. Even so, the sheriff’s office is working to prevent the spread of the virus by isolating new inmates and reducing bookings. This is the first reported positive COVID-19 case among jails in the Tampa Bay region. A Florida Department of Health investigation showed there were two days where the deputy could have come into contact with others, and the jail has since assessed all inmates who could have been exposed. No one fell ill during that time, and the 14-day window when symptoms could appear has since passed, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Baker County nursing home says patient moved to facility brought coronavirus” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — The Macclenny Nursing and Rehab Center suddenly found that 10 patients in the facility were infected with COVID-19 on Thursday. Only one other case of the infection had been reported in Baker County before the outbreak in the nursing home. The facility’s statement did not clarify how many of the 10 victims were elderly patients and how many were the staff. Privacy rights prevent the release of additional information. Baker County Commission Chair James Bennett Friday said county first responders have handled the situation and the jurisdiction is taking the outbreak in stride.

“Bay County domestic violence up during COVID-19 pandemic” via Tony Mixon of Northwest Florida Daily News — Much like after Hurricane Michael, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an uptick of almost 100 domestic violence reports in Bay County. According to Cpl. Amy Burnette of the Domestic Violence Unit at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, there were 192 domestic violence reports as of March 30 and it resulted in 73 arrests. That’s up from February, which had 103 reports and 31 arrests. There has been a variety of reasons why domestic violence has risen, according to Burnette. “The coronavirus situation is a part of it, but I think people’s routines are thrown off,” Burnette said. “People use that time going to work to get away from home.”

“High-volume COVID-19 drive-through to test first responders Sunday, open to public Tuesday” via Bailey Gallion of Florida Today — A new drive-through COVID-19 testing location will debut for first responders and medical staff on Sunday and open to the public on Tuesday. OMNI Healthcare hopes the site at 1344 S. Apollo Blvd. will be able to test 500 people per day, OMNI President Craig Deligdish said. Later, the facility may be able to test 1,000 per day, and OMNI may open additional locations in Palm Bay, Merritt Island and Titusville. Appointments must be made for the testing.

“First Escambia County patient dies of the coronavirus” via Pensacola News Journal staff reports — A 75-year-old woman died in Escambia County on Friday, marking the first reported death due to coronavirus in that county and the third death in the combined counties of Escambia and Santa Rosa County. Escambia County’s positive COVID-19 cases have reached 118, an increase of five from Friday evening. More than 70 percent of Escambia County’s reported cases now involve Pensacola residents. To date, Escambia County’s reported cases range in age from a 2-year-old to a 94-year-old and consist of 61 men and 57 women. One-hundred-ninety-five Florida residents have died from the coronavirus as Florida’s confirmed coronavirus cases climbed to 11,173 on Saturday.

“Despite coronavirus concerns, worshippers gather at Orlando church under statewide exemption” via Lisa Maria Garza of the Orlando Sentinel — Pastor Rich Vera preached to a crowd gathered on Palm Sunday at The Center Arena in west Orange County. Many worship centers in Central Florida have been live-streaming or pre-recording religious services in response to social distancing guidelines meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. But Vera has kept the church on south Hiawassee Road open since before DeSantis and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings issued a stay at home order that exempted religious services. Attendees were encouraged to greet each other with a wave and only worshippers who were related sat close together, Vera said.

“UCF to open drive-through coronavirus testing site on campus” via Daniella Medina of the Orlando Sentinel — A drive-through coronavirus testing site is set to open Monday at UCF’s main campus, the university announced Friday. The testing site, in partnership with private genetics testing lab Aventus Biolabs, will be located in Garage A at the University of Central Florida and will operate on an appointment-only basis from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until its allotted 250 tests per day have been administered. Before a test can be ordered, patients must be screened for symptoms by a health care provider, according to a news release.

“In The Villages, America’s biggest retirement oasis, the dangers of coronavirus stack up” via Rebecca Woolington and Bethany Barnes of the Tampa Bay Times — The Villages built itself into America’s biggest and most famous retirement community by selling the ultimate Florida lifestyle: endless vacation in a warm-weather paradise where you never have to be alone. But everything that defines the Villages now puts its residents at risk. If the coronavirus rips through the community, experts say the Villages’ huge population of highly social seniors could crush the local health care system. Older adults are much more likely to be hospitalized or to die from the virus. If too many people need intensive care, the fear is there will not be the supplies and hospital space required to save lives. This is already happening in some cities.

“Volusia County eases restrictions on beach closure” via Casmira Harrison of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — Volusia County is scaling back on restrictions for beach access. “The beach is going to remain closed,” said County Manager George Recktenwald. “However, in order to bring us a little closer to the stay-at-home measures that DeSantis had put in place, we’re going to relax the provision and allow the essential exercises that were named in his executive order.” Recktenwald said in a phone interview Saturday that the amended rules went into effect at 1 p.m. The new rules allow for walking, jogging, biking, surfing, fishing and limited swimming, said Recktenwald.

— CORONA ECONOMICS —

“The recession bread lines are forming in Mar-Lago’s shadow” via Shawn Donnan and Reade Pickert of Bloomberg — Howley’s diner has become an emblem of America’s stark new economic reality because of its proximity to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club and down the street from Chanel and Louis Vuitton. The kitchen staff at Howley’s has been cooking up free meals for the past two weeks for thousands of laid-off workers from Palm Beach’s shuttered restaurants and resorts. The country’s income gap is about to be wrenched wider as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and the deep recession it has brought with it. The new hunger crisis is emerging among laid-off workers that have begun to overwhelm the infrastructure that normally takes care of the needy. Food banks around the world have recorded increases in requests for assistance as government-ordered lockdowns have started to bite, prompting employers to lay off staff.

“Retailers furloughed nearly 1 million workers this week. But the industry’s troubles are just beginning.” via Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post — Mike Derse kept his two toy stores open as long as he could, but sometime in mid-March, he realized he had no choice but to lay off his entire staff. “We just didn’t have the cash to keep our employees on the payroll,” said Derse, who closed the two Learning Express franchises he owns with his wife three weeks ago. “ ‘Look, we’re sorry,’” he told the 30 workers. “‘We’ve had to make drastic changes.’” Like countless other small-business owners living in suspended animation until the coronavirus crisis wears itself out, Derse is hoping to tap a massive federal stimulus program and take out a loan to get his workers back on the payroll.

“Walmart limits store access; US airlines sign up for grants” via The Associated Press — Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest and JetBlue said they applied Friday for their share of $25 billion in federal grants designed to cover airline payrolls for the next six months. None disclosed the amount they are seeking. The grant money was part of the $2.2 trillion relief bill approved last week. Delta’s CEO says his airline is burning more than $60 million cash per day, and United’s president puts it at $100 million a day. Airline revenue has cratered during the coronavirus outbreak. Delta carried 38,000 passengers last Saturday. On a normal Saturday in late March, it flies 600,000.

“Location data says it all: Staying at home during coronavirus is a luxury” via Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Denise Lu and Gabriel Dance of The New York Times — In cities across America, many lower-income workers continue to move around, while those who make more money are staying home and limiting their exposure to the coronavirus, according to smartphone location data analyzed by The New York Times. Although people in all income groups are moving less than they did before the crisis, wealthier people are staying home the most, especially during the workweek. Not only that, but in nearly every state, they began doing so days before the poor, giving them a head start on social distancing as the virus spread, according to aggregated data from the location analysis company Cuebiq, which tracks about 15 million cellphone users nationwide daily.

“One Tampa Bay restaurant group is doing what it must to save the family business. It may not be enough.” via Laura Reiley of The Washington Post — Suzanne and Roger Perry laid off 175 employees in their small empire of Tampa Bay restaurants. They couldn’t gather everyone together to explain the layoffs because it would have exceeded the governor’s rules about crowd sizes. The managers had to phone people individually to break the news. “We had a range of emotions from people, from ‘Yes, I absolutely understand, good luck and God bless,’ to real anger, people thinking we weren’t taking care of our people,” Suzanne says. Some supply vendors are trying hard to work with them and keep things running. But smaller vendors without deep cash reserves moved to a “cash on delivery” model almost immediately, complicating matters.

“Cocktails-to-go a potential stabilizer for struggling restaurants amid shifting rules” via Amy Drew Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel — “We are surviving,” says Joseph Creech, chef/owner of Hunger Street Tacos, when I ask how they’re doing. These days, that’s an A+. The theme parks may be on lockdown, but it has been a roller-coaster ride for restaurant owners since the coronavirus rode into town. As avenues for doing business began shutting down, venues have pivoted wildly, sometimes daily, to keep up. Then came DeSantis’ executive order, which closed dining rooms but threw those in food service a potential life preserver. For the first time, restaurants would be permitted to include adult beverages in takeout and delivery orders. Hunger Street began putting its award-winning sangria into gallon jugs immediately. List price: $34.99.

— MORE CORONA —

“In Italy, going back to work may depend on having the right antibodies” via Jason Horowitz of The New York Times — The weeks of locking down the country, the center of the world’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak, may start to pay off, as officials announced this week that the numbers of new infections had plateaued. The debate over an antibody-based workforce has once again placed Italy at the unfortunate vanguard of Western democracies grappling with the virus, its uncomfortable ethical choices, and inevitable aftermath. Having the right antibodies to the virus in one’s blood may soon determine who gets to work and who does not, who is locked down and who is free. Researchers are uncertain, if hopeful, that antibodies, in fact, indicate immunity.

“As dozens of ships hover offshore, Bahamas says no sick cruise passengers, crew allowed” via Alex Harris and Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald — A new U.S. Coast Guard memo asks the dozens of cruise ships hovering just off Florida’s coast first to ask the countries where their vessels are flagged for help with critically ill passengers and crew, before straining U.S. medical resources. But the Bahamas, where many of those ships are flagged, said it couldn’t take sick people either. In response to the March 29 memo, the Bahamas Maritime Authority said in a statement that the nation could not take anyone ashore. “We are a small island developing state with a national population in the three hundred thousand. We are proud of the medical care that we afford our people, but it is scaled to our population size.”

“Everyone thinks they’re right about masks” via Ed Yong of The Atlantic — As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many people are now overthinking things they never used to think about at all. Can you go outside? What if you’re walking downwind of another person? What if you’re stuck waiting at a crosswalk, and someone is there? What if you’re going for a run, and another runner is heading toward you, and the sidewalk is narrow? Suddenly, daily mundanities seem to demand strategy. Much of this confusion stems from the shifting conversation around the pandemic. Thus far, the official line has been that the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, could be transmitted only through close contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces. But recently, news reports have suggested that the coronavirus can spread through the air.

“Is an ‘immunity certificate’ the way to get out of coronavirus lockdown?” via Laura Smith-Spark of CNN — Perhaps half the world’s population is living under some form of restriction to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Many are starting to wonder when and how these tough limits on everyday activities will end. Most experts agree that the only way out of a lockdown is testing. Reliable tests would allow people to know whether they have had the virus, and therefore enjoy at least a degree of immunity. They would give officials the ability to isolate new outbreaks when they emerge. But just how would people prove their status — and just what rights would that status confer? These are big questions with which countries around the world are grappling.

“BP offers fuel discount to first responders, health care workers as ‘thank you’ for coronavirus response” via Florida Politics — BP is offering fuel discounts to first responders, nurses, doctors and hospital staff as a ‘thank you’ for their hard work on the front lines battling and managing the COVID-19 crisis. Qualifying professionals can get 50 cents off at the pump and any BP or Amoco gas station. To receive the discount, individuals can register online. Qualifying workers must be authenticated through a link with ID.me and will be issued a 50 cents-off per gallon code via text or email to use on their next fill-up at BP or Amoco stations in the United States.

“A border city is handing out $1,000 fines for those who don’t cover their faces. The mandate has led to confusion.” via Antonia Noori Farzan of The Washington Post — Soon after officials in Laredo, Texas, voted to fine residents who venture out in public without covering their faces, confusion rippled across the bilingual border community on the Rio Grande. Where were residents supposed to get masks, considering that drugstores had sold out long ago? Did you have to cover up in your own car, or at work? Would masked anchors deliver the evening news? And was the city seriously suggesting that people conceal their faces when entering a bank? The emergency mandate, which went into effect early Thursday, appears to be the first of its kind in the country, as The Washington Post’s Arelis Hernández reported.

“A conspiracy theory that 5G is causing the coronavirus is spreading alongside the pandemic” via Ryan Broderick of Buzzfeed News — New Agers, right-wingers, and QAnon conspiracy theorists think global elites are using 5G to spread the coronavirus pandemic. Before the coronavirus, fears about 5G tended to focus on cancer, the risk of which people feared could be increased from cellphone radiation. Misinformation falsely claiming the coronavirus is a bioweapon has circulated since English-language reports of the outbreak began circulating in January. The evidence to support such fears is weak to nonexistent.

“The next pandemic is already coming, unless humans change how we interact with wildlife, scientists say” via Karin Brulliard of The Washington Post — The new coronavirus, which has traversed the globe to infect more than 1 million people, began like so many pandemics and outbreaks before: inside an animal. The virus’s original host was almost certainly a bat, scientists have said, as was the case with Ebola, SARS, MERS, and lesser-known viruses such as Nipah and Marburg. HIV migrated to humans more than a century ago from a chimpanzee. Influenza A has jumped from wild birds to pigs to people. Rodents spread Lassa fever in West Africa. But the problem is not the animals, according to scientists who study the zoonotic diseases that pass between animals and humans. It’s us. Wild animals have always had viruses coursing through their bodies.

“The pandemic’s most powerful writer is a surgeon” via Ben Cohen of The Wall Street Journal — Dr. Craig Smith sits down at his computer each day in a hospital under siege and starts typing. His note to the Columbia University Department of Surgery began with the latest, grimmest statistics from the coronavirus pandemic. The notes from New York’s most powerful writer in scrubs started on March 15, when the city began to emerge as the epicenter of the American outbreak, and they were meant to give the faculty in his department a clear update on the conditions. They have continued every day since then as the city’s hospitals have turned into battlefields. The chairman of the department balances sobering data with a deft literary touch, quoting sources as disparate as John Wooden and Emily Dickinson.

“Florida mom seeks custody of son, says father is virus risk” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press — Tabatha Sams has asked a judge to let her keep custody of Dawson Thilmony until the pandemic-induced state of emergency in Florida is over. The boy’s father, Stephen Thilmony, is a firefighter and emergency medicine technician, and his fiance is an emergency room nurse at Osceola Regional Hospital in a suburb of Orlando. The father and mother were splitting custody of their son. A judge this week denied an emergency request to stop visitations with the father, and a virtual hearing on the matter is scheduled for next week. The mother said in court papers that the risk posed by the boy’s father is no fault of his own, and she’s not trying to deny him access to their child.

— THE HUMAN TOLL —

“‘I cried on the truck’: Fatigued NY workers forge ahead” via Will Graves of The Associated Press — Josh Allert worked as a part-time EMT until the coronavirus pandemic took hold in New York city. Since then, he has worked 12 hours a day and even 21 hours in a single day. Like many healthcare workers, he is burdened by the push-and-pull between the desire to help at the epicenter of the pandemic and the knowledge doing so separates him from the people he loves. He worries about getting sick or infecting his family. His story is just like that of an army of workers who have suddenly been thrust onto the front lines of the outbreak in New York, where the staggering death toll from coronavirus has surpassed 4,000.

“Married for 51 years, they died of COVID-19 six minutes apart” via Harmeet Kaur of CNN — Before just a few weeks ago, Stuart and Adrian Baker were perfectly healthy. The inseparable couple had been married for more than 51 years and were living in Boynton Beach in retirement. Neither of them had any serious health conditions. Then in mid-March, they started feeling ill. On Sunday, they both died — six minutes apart — due to complications from COVID-19, their son Buddy Baker said. Stuart Baker was 74. Adrian Baker was 72. Buddy Baker, a longtime NFL agent, has been speaking publicly about the loss of his parents, using his family’s tragedy to reiterate the seriousness of the global coronavirus pandemic.

“Two sheriff’s officers, 38 and 39, die of coronavirus. They’re among the youngest to die in Florida” via Wayne K. Roustan, David Fleshler and Scott Travis via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Two South Florida law enforcement officers have died from the new coronavirus, both men in their 30s who provided proof that the disease can claim anyone. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jose Diaz Ayala, 38, had been dealing with other health issues before he was infected with the virus, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. His death came after the announcement Saturday morning of the death of Broward Sheriff’s Deputy Shannon Bennett, who died a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19 at age 39. The men became two of the youngest people to die of the coronavirus disease in Florida. Only 4% of the patients who have died were younger than 45, according to the state health department.

“Zev Buffman brought Broadway to South Florida — and the Miami Heat, too. He died at 89” via Jay Cridlin and Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald — The line on Buffman was that he’d never quit. He’d work in show business until the day he couldn’t. When he stepped down as Ruth Eckerd Hall’s president and CEO in 2018, he said: “It’s not retiring from life, like people at 88 do, totally sanely and unexpectedly. Not me. I’m ready for more.” Coming from the seemingly ageless Buffman, you believed it. This week, the curtain on Buffman’s outsized life finally closed. The veteran producer and venue leader died Wednesday at 89 at his home near Seattle. According to Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard, Buffman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. A statement from Ruth Eckerd Hall said Buffman died of natural causes.

“Tom Dempsey, historic New Orleans Saints place-kicker, dies at 73 after coronavirus battle” via Ramon Antonio Vargas of NOLA.com — Dempsey, whose 63-yard-field goal in 1970 set the NFL record and gave New Orleans Saints fans a rare raucous moment in the franchise’s lean early years, died late Saturday of complications from the novel coronavirus, his family said. Dempsey — who overcame astronomical odds to establish what was then considered a virtually unbeatable record — contracted the virus in March during an outbreak at the Lambeth House retirement home in Uptown New Orleans. He is one of at least 15 residents there to die after being stricken with the disease. Doubling his family’s pain is that they could not be with him during his final days because Lambeth House residents were quarantined.

“Veteran living at South Florida VA nursing home dies from the coronavirus” via Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald — A military veteran who fell ill from the coronavirus in mid-March at a Florida VA nursing home in Pembroke Pines has died. The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, which operates the Alexander Nininger State Veterans Nursing Home, issued a statement expressing its condolences. The deceased veteran, who was not identified, was one of two men living at the nursing home for veterans in Pembroke Pines who were hospitalized last month after they tested presumptive positive for the coronavirus, according to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. They were transferred to a hospital.

— ONE GOOD THING —

Each Sunday in New York, the Corona Community Chorus meets on Zoom to unite voices in isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.

Hosting the chorus is Casper ter Kuile, a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School and the author of a forthcoming book, “The Power of Ritual.” Using instruments like the traditional Indian accordion known as the Shruti box, he leads the group through a multilingual repertoire.

“I remember thinking, ‘You know, I’m not a doctor. I’m not a front-line person in any way,’” he told The Associated Press. ”and knowing that the best advice right now is for folks to stay home, I thought maybe I can help by creating something that will make staying home a little bit more enjoyable.”

The idea began with a tweet: “If I hosted a Zoom singing circle tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET, teaching a few simple songs/rounds, who would be into that?” ter Kulie asked. “Reply if you’re game!”

The response was overwhelming, and the first meeting had dozens of people from all over the U.S., Europe and Africa.

In the chat, participants thank ter Kuile, and also praise his husband Sean Lair, a former classical singer, for his “angelical” voice. “Thanks so much, everybody for this magical music community,” says one person. “My spirits are lifted.”

— D.C. MATTERS —

“How Donald Trump surprised his own team by ruling out Obamacare” via Ama Cancryn, Nancy Cook and Susannah Luthi of POLITICO — As coronavirus ran rampant and record jobless numbers piled up, the nation’s health insurers last week readied for a major announcement: The Trump administration was reopening Obamacare to millions of newly uninsured Americans. It was an announcement that never came. The White House instead rejected the prospect of allowing new sign-ups across the 38 Affordable Care Act marketplaces it controls — a decision that shocked the health care industry, triggered widespread criticism and prompted a scramble within the administration to find a new way to care for the growing population left exposed to the pandemic.

“Florida’s Senators continue to hammer WHO’s handling of coronavirus in China” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — Florida’s two U.S. senators — Republicans Rubio and Scott — continue to hit the World Health Organization (WHO) for failing to push China harder on how it handled coronavirus. Earlier this week, Scott called for Congress to investigate the WHO insisting it helped the Chinese regime “cover-up information regarding the threat of the coronavirus.” Back in the middle of February, Scott sent a letter to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), urging the WHO to do its own in-depth analysis of the extent of the coronavirus. Scott continued to take aim at the WHO in an interview with The Daily Signal published Thursday.

“Marco Rubio finds his next act” via Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine of POLITICO — Rubio’s political fortunes have gyrated frequently during his 10 years in national politics. But the coronavirus outbreak may have brought the Florida GOP senator to his most critical moment yet. As chairman of the usually sleepy Small Business Committee, Rubio has a key position in the country’s response and recovery from the pandemic. His panel’s $377 billion lifeline for small businesses is a linchpin of Congress’ $2 trillion economic rescue package, and Rubio’s efforts are winning praise from Republicans and Democrats alike even as implementation of the program remains deeply uncertain.

“Charlie Crist defends DeSantis, says it’s no time for ‘Monday morning quarterback’ criticism,” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — Crist, a former Florida governor, said Sunday he is “encouraged” by Gov. DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic. In an interview on MSNBC, Crist cited the Christian holy week and called for bipartisan cooperation at all levels of local, state and federal government.

“Debbie Mucarsel-Powell calls for investigation into Coral Princess passenger death” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Wilson Maa, 71, died at Larkin Community Hospital in Hialeah after succumbing to complications from the novel coronavirus, according to the Miami Herald. Maa waited around five hours before an ambulance picked him up from the cruise ship. While still on the ship, docked at Port Miami, his symptoms turned serious hours after five other passengers were hospitalized. “My heart breaks for the Maa Family, and I offer them my deepest condolences,” Mucarsel-Powell, a Miami Democrat, said in a statement. “It’s devastating and exasperating that we will never know if Mr. Maa’s death could have been prevented with a swift and urgent medical response that this situation deserved.”

— STATEWIDE —

“’Immediate action’: Janet Cruz seeks Ken Lawson’s ouster as DEO head” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — Cruz wrote Gov. DeSantis, describing a “disgraceful” system that was “designed to fail.” And due to that failure, and a lack of a “plan” to resolve it, Cruz recommends the removal of the Department of Economic Opportunity head Lawson. “I cannot in good conscience stand by the response provided by the Department to this economic crisis. It is with great disappointment and frustration that I request you ask Executive Director Ken Lawson to resign,” Cruz wrote. “During this unprecedented crisis,” Cruz wrote, “we need leadership within every function of state government to protect the Florida we love. We need leadership with integrity and communication with intention.”

“Jackie Toledo calls for DEO audit amid continued unemployment claim failures” by Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Rep. Jackie Toledo is calling on Sen. Jeff Brandes and Rep. Jason Fischer, chairs of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, to open an audit into the Department of Economic Opportunity over failures in the department’s handling of an influx of unemployment compensation claims. The department spent $77 million in taxpayer funds to create a website that is now crumbling under the weight of historic job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida had a total of 152,687 new initial unemployment benefit applications last week alone. This far exceeds the previous record of just over 40,000 in 2009. The online system was rolled out amid much criticism in October 2013, following a 2011 unemployment law that raised new barriers for eligibility and cut back on the number of weeks of unemployment benefits.

“Judge suspended for ‘insubordination’ after footnotes” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — A state Division of Administrative Hearings judge has been suspended for accusing the agency’s director of making what are known as improper “ex parte communications” when reviewing an order in a case about a South Florida horse track. The five-day suspension of Administrative Law Judge John Van Laningham for “insubordination and misconduct,” sent shock waves through the state’s tightly knit administrative-law community. Van Laningham, who intends to appeal the sanction, was appointed to serve as a judge at the division 20 years ago. He is renowned for lengthy, sharply written orders in which he sometimes harshly rebukes state agency officials. The suspension of an administrative law judge and the public scrutiny are extremely rare at the agency.

Happening today — The Innocence Project of Florida is hosting “Advocating for Florida’s Innocent,” a virtual town hall on criminal-justice reform. Expected participants include House Criminal Justice Chair James Grant, 3 p.m., facebook.com/events.

“Pandemic complicates Sarasota superintendent search” via Ryan McKinnon of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — The debate over the timing of the search for a new leader of the Sarasota County School District will continue as the School Board convenes for its first virtual meeting since schools closed due to COVID-19. The board initially had to appoint a new superintendent by midsummer, but complications from the pandemic have amplified voices calling for the board to slow the process. Board members Eric Robinson and Bridget Ziegler have both urged the board to delay the search, especially as the district has canceled public forums to gather input. Now, interim Superintendent Mitsi Corcoran and the consultant leading the search have raised similar concerns.

“Personnel note: Former SBA chief joins LSN Partners” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — LSN Partners announced another major hire Friday. The full-service consulting firm said it has brought on former U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Hector V. Barreto as a Senior Adviser. Barreto will serve as Senior Adviser to LSN’s emerging Small Business Administration Portfolio. Born into an entrepreneurial family, Barreto gained invaluable business experience at an early age, which helped him build several successful companies in multiple industries. Unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Barreto served as the 21st Administrator of the SBA. Under his leadership, the organization leveraged a loan portfolio over $60 million and reached record heights of support for small businesses, especially those lead by minority and female entrepreneurs.

— 2020 —

“Joe Biden says 2020 convention may be ‘virtual,’ will wear mask in public amid COVID-19 outbreak” via Molly Nagle and John Verhovek of ABC News — “Well, we’re going to have to do a convention. We may have to do a virtual convention. I think we should be thinking about that right now. The idea of holding the convention is going to be necessary. We may not be able to put 10, 20, 30,000 people in one place, and that’s very possible. Again, let’s see where it is — and what we do between now and then is going to dictate a lot of that as well. But my point is that I think you just got to follow the science,” Biden told ABC News.

“The coronavirus just made Biden’s money problems even worse” via Lachlan Markay and Sam Stein of the Daily Beast — Biden’s campaign is already struggling for money. Now his campaign faces a new hang-up of its own making. Biden himself called for postponing the Democratic convention, hoping to accommodate public health concerns that have shuttered a massive chunk of the U.S. economy. The Democratic Party’s decision to postpone this summer’s presidential nominating convention has put money further out of reach for Biden’s campaign. Instead of getting access to funds for the general election on the initial convention date in July, Biden must wait until mid-August, when the convention is now planned to go forward in Milwaukee. Biden’s campaign said that they do not fear the monthlong period of access to general election funds that they now must forgo.

“Some top Sanders advisers urge him to consider withdrawing” via Sean Sullivan of The Washington Post — A small group of Bernie Sanders’ top aides and allies, including his campaign manager and his longtime strategist, have encouraged the independent senator from Vermont to consider withdrawing from the presidential race. Sources say that Sanders himself has become more open to the prospect of dropping out especially if he suffers a significant defeat in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary. The Sanders campaign declined to comment on internal deliberations. Advisers with stronger ties to the Democratic Party have been more vocal in urging him to contemplate a withdrawal, while independent activists have been pushing for Sanders to remain in the race.

“Federal ruling puts Florida on the clock over new ballot order rules” via the News Service of Florida with Florida Politics — State elections officials will have until June 1 to decide how they want to comply with a federal judge’s ruling that rejected a decades-old Florida law requiring candidates who are in the same party as the governor to appear first on the ballot. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, who held a hearing in the case Friday, ruled in November that the law is unconstitutional because it “imposes a discriminatory burden on plaintiffs’ voting rights.” Walker and the appellate court have refused to put the district judge’s November decision on hold while the appeal is pending.

“Democrats want DeSantis to mail absentee ballots to all registered Florida voters” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — This week, most of the Democrats in the Florida delegation on Capitol Hill signed a letter urging DeSantis to mail absentee ballots to all registered voters across the state. The letter was led by Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, who asked for absentee ballots to be mailed with the packages including prepaid postage and self-sealing envelopes to mail them back. “The nation’s voters are slated to cast ballots in presidential, congressional, state, and local elections this year, but the spread of the novel coronavirus has caused a slew of states to delay their primary elections and threatens to depress voter turnout as people avoid polling sites out of fear of contracting the virus,” Wilson’s office noted.

— MORE FROM THE TRAIL —

“DeSantis committee collects $461,000 in March” via the News Service of Florida — The contributions brought to nearly $1.85 million the amount raised by the committee Friends of Ron DeSantis during the first three months of this year. It also brought to $4.625 million the amount raised during the past six months. The committee had about $7 million in available cash as of March 31. State political committees, candidates and parties face an April 10 deadline for filing updated campaign-finance reports with the state.

“Ross Spano extends temporary campaign suspension amid ongoing coronavirus worry” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Spano is extending his temporary campaign suspension amid ongoing fears of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce its spread. “I will continue to focus solely on providing the necessary resources to help my constituents stay healthy and to revive the economy by assisting small businesses, employees, and families,” Spano said. He didn’t say how long the extension to that plan would continue. Spano faces an onslaught of criticism stemming from illegal loans he accepted from friends during his 2018 campaign. Spano first temporarily suspended his campaign on March 16.

“Florida loosens some candidate qualifying requirements amid coronavirus outbreak” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Political candidates in Florida have been calling for major changes to the state’s strict qualifying process in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, including deadline postponements and reduced signature requirements. But two emergency rules instituted by Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Friday don’t go as far as candidates wanted — and the deadline remains unchanged. Lee’s two orders allow candidates to gather and submit the required signatures via email, rather than in person, and remove the requirement that signatures must be in original ink rather than just an image. But the signature requirements, which are between 4,600 and 5,000 signatures for congressional candidates and more than 3,000 for state Senate candidates, remain unchanged. So does the April 12 deadline.

— TOP OPINION —

“The coronavirus pandemic will forever alter the world order” via Henry Kissinger for The Wall Street Journal — Nations cohere and flourish on the belief that their institutions can foresee calamity, arrest its impact and restore stability. When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, many countries’ institutions will be perceived as having failed. Whether this judgment is objectively fair is irrelevant. The reality is the world will never be the same after the coronavirus. To argue now about the past only makes it harder to do what must be done. We went on from the Battle of the Bulge into a world of growing prosperity and enhanced human dignity. Now, we live an epochal period. The historic challenge for leaders is to manage the crisis while building the future. Failure could set the world on fire.

— OPINIONS —

“No way to fight a war” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — The lives of Americans are being lost because Trump failed to organize the national delivery of medical supplies desperately needed to fight the coronavirus, preferring instead to let 50 governors fight among themselves for what’s available. “You know, we’re not a shipping clerk,” he told reporters on March 19. The lives of Americans are being lost because Trump failed to organize the national delivery of medical supplies desperately needed to fight the coronavirus, preferring instead to let 50 governors fight among themselves for what’s available. But there is no excuse for not coordinating production and supply at home. That is what nations do in times of war.

“The nation’s heroic hospital workers deserve thanks — and equipment” via The Washington Post editorial board — “Coding a patient before I even knew her name. Telling families they can’t be with their loved ones. Watching a healthy 28-year-old man with COVID-19 become so sick that only machines keep him alive. It is exhausting, and by no means does it feel heroic.” Dr. Danielle Stansky, the emergency medicine resident physician in New York City who wrote that stirring account of coping with the novel coronavirus pandemic, may not feel like a hero. But she — and all the other doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital aides, technicians and janitors who are on the front lines of fighting this terrible disease — are exhibiting bravery, commitment and sacrifice that is indeed heroic.

“Florida’s response to crisis reflects care, balance” via Wilton Simpson for the Tampa Bay Times — Millions of Floridians throughout our communities are stepping up to do their parts in this unprecedented era of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the character being commanded by individuals on the front lines is nothing short of awe-inspiring. What I appreciate about Florida’s response is the great care and balance that is going into every decision. DeSantis is leading the appropriate government response: taking care of critical infrastructure needs, instituting a flow of information, securing federal assistance and tapping private-sector ingenuity in a time when the government cannot meet the unexpected demands. In the midst of this unprecedented global crisis, we are watching neighbors taking care of neighbors, friends and strangers pulling together — while apart.

“Be smart about COVID-19. The life you save could be somebody’s baby grandson” via Chris Corr of the Miami Herald — Two years ago, my daughter lost a baby to a virus. His name was Will, and he had an incredibly strong will to live. But after 96 days of fighting, he succumbed and passed away. Will was born healthy. Then, suddenly, his condition changed. A common virus, one that might not even present symptoms if contracted by a grown-up, quickly ravaged every organ in his vulnerable newborn body. Through that unimaginable ordeal, we learned a great many lessons. Most profoundly, we learned that the things that cause us day-to-day stress aren’t really that important. And we learned a few basic rules of virus prevention from the health care experts: Keep a healthy distance from others, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.

“Our farmers are fighting on all fronts” via Melissa McKinlay with Florida Politics — Never in recent history has the need for domestic domination of the nation’s food source been more apparent than it is right now. Arguments insinuating agricultural workers should not be deemed essential workers are irresponsible. Access to healthy foods, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, is a staple component to adhering to guidelines to maintain a healthy diet to boost immune systems. Farmers work in fields and harvest what they can so our families can eat. Because the burden they’ve decided to carry on their shoulder is something no one can live without — food. They are the definition of essential. We owe them our gratitude.

— TODAY’S SUNRISE —

As of last night, Florida had 12,350 confirmed cases of coronavirus: 1,555 hospital admissions and 221 fatalities. Miami-Dade County leads in the number of cases, followed by Broward, Palm Beach, Orange and Hillsborough. Liberty and Taylor counties in North Florida are the only two without a single case. But the problem is — are they truly virus-free, or has there just not been enough testing?

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— New polling shows the vast majority of Floridians support DeSantis’ order imposing a statewide lockdown for the rest of the month, but it also shows that fewer people are trusting the Governor.

— How bad is the computerized application system for Florida’s unemployment office? Bad enough to where the state released a downloadable template of the application, so applicants can fill it out by hand and snail-mail it.

— The Hillsborough County pastor arrested last week for violating public health orders by busing people in for church services decided not to do it again this weekend. The pastor says it was to protect his congregation from government tyranny, but the cancellation of his insurance may have had something to do with it.

— Every day, grocery stores are selling out as people stock up and stay at home, while Florida farmers are hurting because they are no longer able to sell fresh produce to restaurants and schools. In Florida, April and May are the peak seasons — especially for South Florida vegetables — and a lot of that produce may go to waste. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the head of the Florida Farm Bureau have something to say about that.

— Just another day with Florida Man: One broke into a house because he thought he was being chased by dinosaurs; Another attacked the ice cream man.

To listen, click on the image below:

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

— ALOE —

“Marvel remakes release calendar; ‘Mulan’ moves to late July” via Jake Coyle of The Associated Press — The Walt Disney Co. on Friday overhauled its release schedule by moving the dates of half a dozen Marvel movies. “Black Widow” took the release date of “The Eternals,” which now moves to February 21 next year. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” departs that February date for May 7, 2021. Other moves have been pushed back as well. Disney isn’t abandoning the summer completely. “Mulan,” which been scheduled for March and already had its red carpet premiere, will now open July 24. The company also didn’t move the Pixar release “Soul” from its June 19 release date. Those plans, of course, are subject to movie theaters being reopened by then and the pandemic subsiding.

“Disney World’s annual-pass payment changes: What you need to know” via Matthew J. Palm of the Orlando Sentinel — Annual passholders to Walt Disney World have new options after the company followed the lead of Universal Orlando in deferring payments. That announcement was overshadowed by news of furloughs at the massive theme-park resort, the nation’s largest single-site employer. But the company’s website reassures passholders they won’t have to continue paying for passes they can’t use. For all, pass benefits remain active. For example, those interested in buying tickets to a future event such as “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” are offered discounted passholder prices when logged into their account. But for some passholders, facing economic uncertainty, the updated payment policy couldn’t have come soon enough.

“A pandemic thriller, once rejected by publishers for being unrealistic, is now getting a wide release” via Alaa Elassar of CNN — What happens when a once-rejected dystopian novel turns into reality? Ask Scottish author Peter May. The screenwriter-turned-novelist wrote a book titled “Lockdown” in 2005 about a global pandemic. Fifteen years later, that’s our reality. The book, which was rejected by publishers at the time for being too unrealistic, was finally published. The thriller is set in London, the epicenter of a global pandemic that forces officials to institute a lockdown. The story isn’t entirely based on May’s imagination. He used British and U.S. pandemic preparedness documents from 2002 to make it was as realistic as possible. “At the time I wrote the book, scientists were predicting that bird flu was going to be the next major world pandemic,” May said.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Happy birthday to two wonderful women in The Process, Carolyn Johnson and Chelsea Murphy, as well as Democratic activist Alan Clendenin, Rosemary Curtiss, and ace photographer Colin Hackley. Happy birthday belatedly to three solid Tampa Bay politicos, former Tampa Councilman Harry Cohen, Largo Commissioner Michael Smith, and Pinellas Property Appraiser Mike Twitty, as well as former Secretary of State Katherine Harris, Dave DeCamp, Dan Pollock, Victoria Price, Beth Sweeny, Mike Synan, Dave Vasquez, and Mike Watkins. 

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