Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 4-24-20

Florida - COVID-19
In Florida, 1.5 Million Claims Filed, Just 40,193 Paid
An unidentified employee at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library hands an unemployment application to a motorist Monday, April 13, 2020 in Tampa. [CHRIS URSO | Times]
As of Tuesday, just 40,193 Floridians who have filed for unemployment since March 15 have received their benefits, ac- cording to a new website the state launched Monday.
That’s less than 3 percent of the more than 1.5 million claims filed since mid March when the state saw a record surge in people thrown out of work because of the coron- avirus.
The new site, which is ex- pected to be updated daily, provides the first look at the scope of the state’s unemploy- ment crisis and the workload faced by the Department of
Economic Opportunity, the agency tasked with processing claims:
Of the more than 1.5 mil- lion claims, just 162,039 have been processed by the state to determine if the person is eligi- ble for unemployment.
Of the 162,039 claims, 41,573 — about one in four — were found ineligible for assis- tance.
Nearly $60 million has been paid to 40,193 Floridians, but the state has been slow to pay out the $600-per-week federal unemployment bene- fits. Of the $60 million, just $14.3 million is federal help.
Gov. DeSantis Allows Some Florida Beaches To Reopen Since Coronavirus Shutdown
Gov. Ron DeSantis has decided to reopen some of the state’s beaches and parks even as the pandemic contin- ues.
Mayor Lenny Curry an- nounced that beaches in Duval County—which encom- passes Jacksonville—reopen on Friday afternoon with lim- ited hours, from 6 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., WKMG re- ports. Patrons are only al- lowed to walk, bike, hike, fish, run, swim, surf, and take care of pets.
“Folks, this could be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, but please respect and follow these limi- tations,” Curry said in a video posted to social media. “We’ll get back to life as we know it, but we must be pa- tient.”
GOV. RON DESANTIS
Just mere weeks ago, Florida officials were slammed for failing to close the state’s beaches during spring break. In mid-March, videos and photos surfaced online showing thousands of spring breakers and tourists crowding Clearwater Beach.
After spring break, a handful of Florida students who had gone on spring break tested positive for COVID-19.
As a response, most coun- ties shuttered their beaches or restricted access. Some popu- lar beaches in South Florida, like Miami Beach, were shut down by state order.
During the news confer- ence, DeSantis said some districts can reopen parks and beaches if they so desire. However, beach-goers will still have to adhere to social distancing guidelines. He added that it’s imperative that people get exercise, sunshine, and fresh air.
“Do it in a good way. Do it in a safe way,” he added.
However, not everyone is behind Florida's decision to reopen its beaches.
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020