Nancy Klingener

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary's Restoration Blueprint would add Pulley Ridge in the Gulf of Mexico to its boundaries, in addition to putting additional protections on more than 450 square miles around the Keys.

All kids over the age of 5 should get the COVID vaccine. That's according to Florida's leading pediatricians, who say new guidance from the state is prioritizing politics over the health of children.

Goliath grouper have been protected since 1990. The state of Florida is considering a plan that would allow up to 200 of the big fish to be taken each year. The public can provide input at two online workshops this week.

The Florida Keys are one of the nation's most vulnerable areas to sea level rise and are facing billions in costs to raise roads and elevate homes. Multiple meetings and workshops the week of June 21 focus on what local residents can expect and how they can adapt.

We are all connected by the environment we share. The Earth is our home. This is the space where we share the environmental stories that caught our attention this week, in Florida and beyond.

State wildlife officials are considering whether to allow people to catch and keep goliath grouper for the first time in more than 30 years.

State health officials reported 4,504 new COVID-19 infections and 71 deaths on Thursday. As of Thursday morning, more than 9.1 million people in Florida have been vaccinated, including more than 6.6 million who are fully vaccinated with either two-doses or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.Local Governments in Southwest Florida and beyond are allowing emergency declarations and COVID restrictions to end following Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order, Monday, lifting all coronavirus restrictions imposed by local governments.COVID restrictions are being loosened in Florida courthouse buildings. The CDC has issued guidance to cruise lines about how they can begin trial voyages and theme parks in Central Florida are planning to do away with temperature checks as the CDC’s guidance is changing.

State Health officials reported 6,118 new COVID-19 cases and 120 deaths, Thursday. As of Wednesday, more than 3.1 million people in Florida have been vaccinated, including more than 1.4 million who have received a first dose and more than 1.7 million people who have completed the series.Retail pharmacy sites offering the vaccine like CVS and Publix are now offering doses to K-12 school employees, daycare workers and those extremely vulnerable to the virus due to a medical condition, regardless of age.Florida Democratic leaders like Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried remain critical of the governor’s vaccine rollout, citing another example of an affluent community in the Florida Keys including nearly two dozen financial supports of DeSantis, that was given vaccine priority.A draft Inspector General’s report, this week, details problems with Florida’s unemployment benefit system.A U.S. Census Bureau survey this week reveals that most U.S. businesses are not requiring COVID-19 testing for workers or vaccines when employees become eligible to receive them.Democrats in the Florida House, Thursday, introduced a broad COVID-19 relief bill.

After learning that residents of the ultra-wealthy Ocean Reef Club in North Key Largo received coronavirus vaccines in early January — well before most Floridians had a chance to sign up for the shot — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is renewing calls for a federal investigation into vaccine access in Florida.

State health officials reported 11,256 new COVID-19 cases, Monday, for a total of 1,376,692 infections. The Florida Department of Health also reported 103 new coronavirus-related deaths, yesterday, for a total of 22,415 fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic.