Florida News that impacts you – December 8th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- A study by the marketing firm Destinations Florida suggests Florida’s tourism industry won’t begin a meaningful recovery until the 2nd half of 2021 at the earliest. The study of 244 Florida businesses which rely on tourism found only a slight uptick in demand projected through the first half of next year. Overall visitors to the state have dropped 34% this year due to the pandemic and tourism related spending is down 40% year over year.
- Small Business research firm AdvisorSmith ranks Florida’s small businesses as the 2nd most at risk in the country if there are reimposed lockdowns. Governor DeSantis stated Florida won’t revert to lockdown measures imposed in March and April. He’s also stated closing schools originally was a mistake.
- A White House Report on COVID-19 transmission shows 62 of Florida’s 67 counties experienced an increase the week of Thanksgiving. This included all South Florida counties. There’s cautious optimism the recent spike in cases, potentially attributed to Thanksgiving get togethers, has peaked with back-to-back decreases in new diagnosed cases in Florida.
- It appears as though Pfizer’s COVID vaccine will be the first to be rolled out in Florida. The FDA will make a determination about the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday, with Moderna’s to be evaluated on the 17th. Should the FDA clear the vaccine, which is now being used in England, shipments will immediately begin. Five South Florida hospitals are scheduled to be the first to receive the shipments – though that plan must be approved by the FDA as well.
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