Treasure Coast Covid-19 Update April 28 2020
Florida’s coronavirus death toll is up to one-thousand-88 after 14 more deaths reported yesterday. Cases statewide top 32-thousand. At his latest update on COVID-19 in Tampa, Governor Ron DeSantis said the state’s hospitals stayed well under capacity as worst-case scenarios predicted last month have failed to play out.
DeSantis again said reopening Florida will be a slow process and that it won’t be fast enough for some. The governor is scheduled to meet with President Trump in the Oval Office today.
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The Florida city hardest hit by the coronavirus is not ready to reopen. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced yesterday the city’s public spaces will remain closed even as county parks open tomorrow.
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Floridians struggling to get unemployment benefits are facing another setback. The Department of Economic Opportunity revealed yesterday that 40-percent of those who filed for benefits, or about 200-thousand people, were declared ineligible.
In Washington, Florida Senator Marco Rubio say the relaunch of the Paycheck Protection Program is hitting some rough waters.
In a Twitter video, Rubio said the SBA is trying to get more community banks involved in the lending program, and that’s slowing down the response.
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For the first time in more than a month, St. Lucie County is reopening its beaches beginning Tuesday. Beaches will reopen beginning at 7 a.m., with some restrictions, county leaders announced during a news conference Monday. The beaches have been closed since March 24 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Beaches in St. Lucie County and Fort Pierce will be open for walking, jogging, fishing, surfing, swimming, snorkeling, collecting seashells, kayaking and paddleboarding. However, social distancing is still required and recreational groups of 10 or more people are prohibited. Other prohibited activities include partying, picnicking, camping and playing volleyball, football or Frisbee.
No coolers, tents, blankets, umbrellas, beach chairs or sunbathing are allowed. Indian River County previously announced last week that its beaches would reopen Tuesday. According to the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health, there are 236 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in St. Lucie County, including 20 deaths. A county official said the number of confirmed cases has decreased since April 1.
Here is a list of St. Lucie County Beaches.
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Florida officials are inviting the public to weigh in on reopening the state amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has shuttered schools, businesses and theme parks. In making the announcement, the governor’s office said this feedback will be a “critical component” for the Re-Open Florida Task Force. The panel is guiding Gov. Ron DeSantis on decisions to lift an array of restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the virus. As of Saturday, the state reported more than 30,800 known infections and said about 1,050 Floridians have died from COVID-19. The task force’s recommendations could come this weekend.
For more information, log on to https://app.smartsheet.com
Need a face mask? A business on the Treasure Coast has you covered. A nail salon in Port St. Lucie is giving away 10,000 of them for free on Saturday, May 2 from noon to 4 p.m. Gossip Nails Lounge said they are providing the masks on a first come, first served basis to anyone who needs them. The business is located at 10513 SW Meeting St. in the Tradition area of Port St Lucie. The salon said on their Facebook page that the masks are breathable, comfortable fitting and washable. The masks will be distributed via a drive-through system to adhere to social distancing.
