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The Point, April 14, 2020: DeSantis Declared A Plateau of Florida Cases, Deployed Expanded Testing for Nursing Homes

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On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida coronavirus cases are approaching a plateau. Still, over the weekend, infections eclipsed 20,000 while cases just in long-term care facilities neared 1,000. In response, DeSantis deployed 10 "strike teams" to expand testing for South Florida nursing homes. (WUFT News)

• WUFT News: Some Nicaraguan UF Students Fear Their Country Is Not Ready To Face The Pandemic."Instead of following WHO’s recommendations, the government is promoting the opposite of social distancing, by encouraging public gatherings like fairs, carnivals, concerts, marches and marathons."

• WUFT News: Funeral Homes Trying to Accommodate COVID-19 Families Despite Not Having Right Equipment. "With projections showing that as many as 4,700 residents statewide may die because of COVID-19, funeral homes across Florida are adapting their services to be ready for the increased need."

• WUFT News: From The Front Lines Podcast. "Keith Schneider, a professor at the University of Florida's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, explains how often you should be making trips to the grocery store and how to best protect yourself when you do."

• Citrus County Chronicle: Seventh COVID-19 death recorded in Citrus."The previous six deaths included a 73-year-old woman, an 88-year-old man, an 84-year-old man, a 74-year-old woman, an 87-year-old man and an 80-year-old man."

• Suwannee Democrat: Suwannee County’s 68th confirmed case, first death announced."The Florida Department of Health in Suwannee County (DOH-Suwannee) is now conducting its contact investigation and working on identifying and notifying individuals who will need to self-monitor for symptoms for a 14-day period."

• Panama City News Herald ($): Limited staff maintain soil sample health."But scientists at University of Florida/IFAS laboratories on the main Gainesville campus and elsewhere across the state are working with limited staffing and hours to test samples of soil, water, plants and even manure sent in from across the state and beyond."

• Fort Myers News-Press ($): COVID-19 fact & fiction: UF experts on how to safely handle groceries, restaurant takeout."When it comes to safe food handling and eating amid COVID-19, it can feel like a battle of myths and facts. Three UF experts are here to help."


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Around the state today

• WMFE: Sumter County leads the state in 2020 Census response rate."Nearly 59 percent of its households have already submitted their census forms."

• Tampa Bay Times: Hillsborough’s curfew starts Monday night. But can you jog or walk the dog?"The county’s Emergency Policy Group voted to impose a nightly curfew to curb large gatherings. But there’s confusion as to what residents can and cannot do after 9 p.m."

• WJCT: Northeast Florida Teens Step Up To Help Region Deal With Coronavirus."As governments, businesses, and organizations struggle with the coronavirus pandemic, individuals are stepping up to lend a helping hand, including three Northeast Florida teens."

• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Black News Channel co-founder, CEO Bob Brillante steps down two months after national launch."It comes two months after the network made it national launch, following several postponements."

• NWF Daily News: Florida utilities detail hurricane protection plans."After the state got battered in recent years by storms such as Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Michael, the Legislature last year overwhelmingly passed the law to try to bolster the electric system."
• WLRN: The Sunshine Economy: COVID-19 And The Federal Reserve. "'Turbulent.' That’s how the Federal Reserve’s top official in the southeastern U.S. describes the American economy one month into the national emergency brought on by COVID-19."

• Miami Herald: A Florida inmate refused to take off a protective mask. He was handcuffed, punished."According to a disciplinary report provided to the Miami Herald, an inmate at Martin Correctional Institution in Martin County was cited March 27 after he returned to his dorm early one morning wearing a face mask."
• Florida Politics: ‘Keep Florida growing’: Nikki Fried pushes to bring local food to Floridians. "For farmers, ranchers, and others whose livelihood depends on food production, the ("Keep Florida growing web) page keeps a commodity list, which agriculture producers can use to market their output directly to consumers."

• Florida Phoenix: Sierra Club seeks veto of sunscreen bill that could damage coral reefs."The legislation puts Florida at odds with the city of Key West, the state of Hawaii, two Florida members of Congress, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."


From NPR News

• National: Deadly Storms Sweep Through Southeast U.S.

• National: Trump Officials Ask To Delay Census Data For Voting Districts, House Seats

• World: Hard-Hit Spain Tries A Gradual Easing Of Its Coronavirus Lockdown

• Politics: Bernie Sanders Endorses Joe Biden For President

• Politics: White House Says Trump 'Is Not Firing Dr. Fauci'

• Business: States Unite On Reopening Economies: 'Science — Not Politics — Will Guide' Decisions

• Business: With People Stuck At Home, Jigsaw Puzzle Sales Soar

• Race: Racial Disparities Emerge During Epidemics — Like The 1918 Flu

Gabriella Paul is a reporter for WUFT. She can be reached at gabbympaul@ufl.edu.