Another record
Florida didn’t just break the record for newly reported COVID-19 cases — we smashed it. The Department of Health added another 5,500 confirmed cases Wednesday; that’s 1,400 more than the previous record set Saturday.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— Gov. Ron DeSantis has been doing his best to downplay the significance of the new cases. But people in the north are noticing Florida’s spike in COVID-19 cases. Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have each signed emergency orders imposing a 14-day quarantine on anyone traveling there from Florida, as well as from eight other states that have seen a surge in coronavirus infections.
— Coincidentally, in the early days of the pandemic, Florida did the same thing to travelers from New York. Now, their numbers are going down while ours are going up. As they say, payback is a b***h.
— Officials at VISIT FLORIDA are making plans to lure tourists back to the Sunshine State, starting with a $13 million marketing plan targeting Floridians an urging them to consider staycations. They’re also asking the Governor and Legislature to double its $50 million budget.
— The pandemic has spawned a whole new series of scams; Attorney General Ashley Moody says there’s a new one making the rounds — con artists claiming the government will pay you to stay inside.
— DeSantis holds a ceremonial signing for the teacher pay bill he championed in the Legislature; he says there’s enough money to move Florida to the Top 5 in starting pay for teachers. He insists he will not make any reductions in the pay plan because of COVID-19.
— The battle over a congressional seat in Miami moves to a Tallahassee courtroom. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez faces a lawsuit from a fellow Republican claiming the Mayor should be barred from the primary, because his name was misspelled on the check used to pay the official qualifying fee.
— Checking in with a Florida Woman who is suing her neighbor over a paternity test — for a goat.