Florida News – Highlights from around the state – March 2nd
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a public health emergency in Florida after two potentially positive COVID-19 tests have emerged from 150 people who’d been tested and monitored. The two-potentially infected Floridians are from Hillsborough and Manatee counties. The virus has now been detected in twelve states.
- The Florida Department of Health has setup coronavirus test stations in Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa. They’ve also said conclusive results for all tested will occur in fewer than two days.
- Today kicks off the final two weeks of the legislative session and with a budget yet to be approved, and it being the only requirement of the legislature, this week is crunch time for all bills/issues which are yet to be decided. Among those... E-Verify which is being given a tentative make or break deadline of Wednesday for this session and any proposed changes to sports betting in Florida. It’s increasingly looking unlikely to have a path to the finish line this year.
- March 1st kicked off the 2020 sea turtle nesting season which lasts through October. About 90% of sea turtle nesting takes place in Florida. Last year marked an improvement in nesting over the previous two years.