Florida News That Impacts You – October 7th, 2022
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida. Gas prices continued lower through the weekend.
- Gas prices are rapidly rising once again. The average price statewide is $3.29 per gallon, an increase of seven cents over yesterday and ten cents lower than a week ago. The October suspension of Florida’s sales tax on gas, accounts for a decline of 25.3 cents. Independent of gas tax collection suspension, the price per gallon is 15 cents higher than a week ago.
- Florida’s trend for new COVID-19 cases is remaining at six-month lows. Florida’s weekly trend for daily cases is currently 1,394 – the lowest since March 28th. The total is in part due to the impact of Hurricane Ian – Florida’s trend had already been at 5-month lows preceding Ian.
- The death toll due to Hurricane Ian, the deadliest in Florida since the Labor Day Hurricane in 1935, has risen to 123. Nearly half of the deaths occurred in Lee County, though attributed deaths have occurred in 15 counties across the state. The death toll has been rising as search and rescue units have been scouring many of the most impacted areas as flood waters recede.
- Initial votes for the 2022 midterm elections continue to pour into election supervisors. As of Friday morning, over 27,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned to election supervisors according to the Florida Division of Elections. Palm Beach County is leading the state in votes cast by mail thus far accounting for over 60% of all ballots recorded thus far. Florida’s voter registration deadline for participation in the midterms is next Tuesday, the 11th.