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The Point, April 10, 2020: How Coronavirus Has Impacted Local Restaurants, Schools And The Arts

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The top stories near you

• Citrus County Chronicle: Sixth death from COVID-19 recorded in Citrus. "Six people in Citrus County have now died from COVID-19, according to an evening update Thursday from the Florida Department of Health. The sixth death is a 73-year-old female with known contact to a confirmed case."

• WUFT News: Keeping The Family Restaurant Open In The Pandemic: It’s All We Have Ever Known. "Karina Elwood feels like a kid again, watching her father walk in every night from Wagon Wheel Pizza, the restaurant he owns in coastal Palm Bay. But these days, he is coming home every night with something new: the weight of keeping a small business open in the wake of a pandemic."

• WUFT News: North Central Florida Adapts To Remote Learning For Students With Disabilities Amid Pandemic. "As school districts adapt, teachers and administrators are discovering the unique challenges of teaching students with disabilities remotely... Similar to Bradford County, Alachua County is utilizing paper packets and technology for exceptional student education courses, according to Donna Kidwell, exceptional student education director of Alachua County."

• WUFT News: From The Front Lines Podcast. "Two religious leaders — Bishop John Howard and Father Tom Willis — discuss how they and their communities have adapted to this new version of Easter, and the significance of the holiday’s message in the time of coronavirus."

• Suwannee Democrat: Suwannee County tops 50 confirmed coronavirus cases. "The new cases involve a 55-year-old female, a 74-year-old male, a 57-year-old male, an 85-year-old female, a 64-year-old male, a 67-year-old male, an 89-year-old female and an 85-year-old female. All are connected to an existing case."

• Citrus County Chronicle: Some local hospital staff fear reuse of masks, gloves risks patient and staff health. "Nurses at Bayfront Health Seven Rivers told the Citrus County Chronicle their hospital is now in that group of facilities where health care workers are handed a single gown and mask for their shift and told to make due. The nurses told the Chronicle they fear getting infected or infecting someone else as they keep the protective equipment on for hours."

• Gainesville Sun: Efforts being made to keep nonprofits going. "Nonprofit agencies in Alachua County are struggling financially, just like local businesses, with the stay-home order for non-essential workers due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Community Foundation of North Central Florida has been conducting a local needs assessment since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, and the latest results say a lot."

• Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County manufacturer makes simple device for healthcare worker comfort. "A handy gizmo that takes the pressure of surgical mask straps off the ears is sweeping the country after a Canadian Boy Scout used his 3D printer to produce a batch for local healthcare workers."

• WUFT News: ‘You Just Need The Words:’ Coronavirus Forces Theaters, Stage Artists To Get Creative. "'We just get to have a moment where you can just be creative and be ourselves,' Alec Hadden said, 'and show that whatever harm this disease is doing to the country – to the world – is not going to stop creatives from being who they are.'"


Around the state today

• News Service of Florida: DeSantis Signs Initiatives Bill, Tax Package. "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed seven bills into law on April 8, including measures that will place additional restrictions on ballot initiatives and provide sales-tax 'holidays' around the start of hurricane season and the upcoming school year."

• WMFE: First Patients In Orlando Treated For COVID-19 With Blood Of Those Who Recovered. "Orlando area patients are starting to get treated for COVID-19 with the blood of patients who have recovered. Orlando Health confirmed that a patient started convalescent plasma treatment last night at Orlando Regional Medical Center."

• Florida Politics: COVID-19 cases soar at Panhandle prison. "The Blackwater River facility in Milton has 30 COVID-19 cases among inmates, up from four the day before, representing by far the biggest movement in prison-related cases."

• Miami Herald: Miami-Dade orders masks in grocery stores, restaurants to slow coronavirus spread. "In a video published on Twitter, Mayor Gimenez said he met with the Miami-Dade League of Cities to clarify the use of masks. The order defines a mask as a 'covering which snugly covers the face and mouth' and which is secured with 'ties or ear loops.'"

• Florida Phoenix: Only one FL county left with zero coronavirus infections. Its name is Liberty. "Since March 27, those small counties began falling off the coronvirus-free list, according to the state data, and Liberty is now the only county left with no infections."

• Orlando Weekly: Publix stores are using one-way aisles to improve coronavirus social distancing. "Publix, Florida’s largest grocery store chain, is now installing directional floor markers in all aisles, in an effort to help keep customers moving in one direction and encourage social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic."

• WJCT: Hotline Connects North Florida Parents With Child Care Facilities. "The Early Learning Coalition of North Florida is helping families connect with child-care facilities in their local area with a Child Care Resource and Referral Hotline."

• Florida Politics: Beach closure fight goes to appeals court. "A Panhandle attorney has gone to an appeals court to try to force Gov. Ron DeSantis to close beaches statewide to stem the spread of COVID-19."

• Tampa Bay Times: Carole and Howard Baskin say ‘Tiger King’ makers betrayed their trust. "'I just feel so angry that people have totally missed the point,' she told the Tampa Bay Times in her first interview since the series aired. 'And the point is these cubs are being abused and exploited and the public is enabling that.'"


From NPR News

• World: Scientists Try To Figure Out If Summer Will Slow The Spread Of COVID-19

• World: Nearing Anniversary Of Devastating Fire, Notre Dame To Host A Good Friday Service

• National: Fauci Says U.S. Coronavirus Deaths May Be 'More Like 60,000'; Antibody Tests On Way

• Business: Short on Cash? Here's Some Advice For Families Stretching Their Budgets

• Health: Questions About The Details Of Flattening The Epidemic Curve

• Politics: In Reversal, Federal Support For Coronavirus Testing Sites Continues

• Race: Addressing Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Outcomes

• Books: Elizabeth's More Serious Sister Mary Takes The Spotlight In 'The Other Bennet Sister'

Kristen is a web editor and reporter for WUFT News. She can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing kaltus@ufl.edu. Follow her on social media @kristenaltus.