Florida Division of Emergency Management

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved Florida’s request for a disaster declaration stemming from tornadoes that touched down in Southwest Florida in January. The declaration opens the door for impacted residents and businesses to apply for SBA disaster loans.

Gov. DeSantis announces the allocation of $10,000 checks to 43 victims whose homes were destroyed or damaged with tornadoes touched down in Lee and Charlotte Counties in January, as the state continues to appeal FEMA's denial of individual assistance for victims.

Governor Ron DeSantis was in Fort Myers Friday morning to address ongoing recovery efforts stemming from damage sustained when tornadoes touched down in Southwest Florida in January. Florida plans to appeal a denial of the state’s request for federal aid.

The Florida Department of Health reported 3,615 COVID-19 infections, Monday, marking the lowest single-day increase in cases since the end of October. COVID-19 hospitalizations in Southwest Florida are also down, in line with a national trend. However, COVID-19 deaths in Florida remain high, averaging more than 153 fatalities a day over the past week.Severe winter weather across much of the U.S. is delaying shipments of COVID-19 vaccine doses to Florida. The delays have prompted the Department of Health in Collier County to only be providing second-dose shots this week. Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz is stepping down from his post. He has been a top state official leading Florida’s response to the pandemic.A pop-up vaccination clinic is coming to Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County later this week.

State health officials reported 7,788 new COVID-19 cases, Sunday and 119 new deaths. Florida launched a new state-run website, Friday, for people to register for COVID-19 vaccination appointments at myvaccine.fl.gov. It remains unclear how Florida residents under 65 years old who are deemed “extremely vulnerable” can sign up to receive a vaccine dose. The more contagious COVID-19 variant called B.1.1.7 continues to spread in Florida. The CDC reports, Florida now leads the nation with 147 cases of the variant identified so far. After giving Publix exclusive vaccine rights in Palm Beach County, the state is now planning to open a vaccine clinic in Belle Glade to serve the predominantly Black agricultural towns that surround Lake Okeechobee and that are more than 25 miles away from the nearest Publix location. A USF survey focused on misinformation, social media, and the politicization of the pandemic explores varying degrees of trust people have in information they’re getting about the coronavirus through social media platforms.

The Florida Department of Health reported 11,423 COVID-19 cases, Thursday and 202 coronavirus-related deaths. In an address to a state legislative committee, Thursday, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz said the burden is on the federal government to provide more vaccine to Florida, but says President Biden “inherited a mess.” Democratic members of Congress from South Florida held a media conference Thursday to critique Governor Ron DeSantis’ vaccine rollout efforts and messaging. The Sarasota County School District is facilitating COVID-19 vaccine doses for eligible staff 65 and older this coming Sunday. The more contagious strain of COVID-19 first discovered in the UK continues to spread throughout Florida, which is now tied with California with the most number of cases of the variant identified. Despite Black Floridians getting COVID-19 at a higher rate than white Floridians, whites people in Florida are getting vaccinated at nearly three times the rate of Blacks.

State health officials reported 11,576 new COVID-19 cases, Monday for a total of 1,488,586 infections.The Florida Department of Health also reported 163 coronavirus-related deaths, Jan. 11, increasing the statewide death toll to 23,424 fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic.The latest single-day positivity rate reported by the Florida Division of Emergency Management stood at 13.17% on Sunday. Over the past two weeks, the single-day positivity rate has ranged between 10.04% and 26.34%.

State health officials reported 10,105 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, marking the largest single-day increase in reported infections since July 25. There have now been 885,201 reported cases of the virus in Florida since the start of the pandemic.The Florida Department of Health also reported 30 new coronavirus-related deaths, Nov. 15, increasing the statewide death toll to 17,734 fatalities.

Following the largest single-day increase in coronavirus-related deaths in Florida, the number of fatalities ticked up at a slower pace, Wednesday. The…

Florida now has 21,019 confirmed cases of the coronavirus according to the latest update from the state Department of Health. In the past week, health…