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Florida News That Impacts You – December 2nd, 2021
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Florida maintained the fewest population adjusted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. While health experts are watching to see what impact Thanksgiving get togethers may have had in Florida, in addition to monitoring the omicron variant as it’s now been detected in the United States (though not in Florida yet), Florida reported its first day with over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases since November 11th. With 2,096 new cases reported, Florida’s weekly trend for daily cases has risen to 1,339. Hospitalizations in Florida remain the lowest of the year.
- Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity provided a status update on the state’s modernization project to replace the state’s failed Connect unemployment system, which collapsed under high demand last year during the early weeks of the pandemic. According to DEO the modernization project is 15% completed and is on track to meet the previous guidance of completion by October 2023. Among the new features discussed, the program is said to feature an online chat option for those with unemployment claims.
- While South Florida’s housing market remains red hot, with year-over-year appreciation approaching 20% in many communities, rent rates are rising even faster. According to Redfin, rent rates in South Florida have risen by as much as 36% over the past year.
- Miami’s Art Week is set to produce a record economic boon for the metro this week. According to Miami’s Convention and Visitors Center over $60 million is being spent on hotel bookings alone this week.