The COVID-19 crisis has presented multiple policy challenges for national policy makers . The crisis has also created especially pressing policy challenges for a few states since it began in March, beginning in the Northeast, California, and Washington .Since early June , however, the states with the greatest challenge have been in the south and the southwest, including the large states of Florida and Texas.

The COVID-19 crisis has presented multiple policy challenges for national policy makers. The crisis has also created especially pressing policy challenges for a few states since it began in March, beginning in the Northeast, California, and Washington. Since early June, however, the states with the greatest challenge have been in the south and the southwest, including the large states of Florida and Texas.

This site will focus on the unique and growing challenges confronting Florida, which has the largest percentage of its population over age 65, the most vulnerable demographic for contracting COVID-19, of any state in the country.

Important Links

• Despite rising caseloads and deaths, DeSantis claims there are ‘positive trends’ (Herald Tribune)
• The Virus Is Killing Young Floridians. Race Is a Big Factor. (The New York Times)
• In Florida, a coronavirus showdown as DeSantis rejects Tampa-area schools plan (Politico)
• ‘It’s clear we need the help’: Fast-dwindling federal aid pits Florida governments against each other (The Washington Post)
• Florida surpasses record for most COVID-19 deaths in single week (The Hill)
• ‘We’re Dying Here’: Florida Newspaper Pleads With DeSantis To Step Up COVID-19 Fight (Huffpost)
• How coronavirus is spreading in Florida (Tampa Bay Times)
• Florida needs straight talk on coronavirus (Tampa Bay Times)
• Child hospitalizations from Covid-19 surge 23% in Florida as schools statewide must reopen (CNN)
• Coronavirus ravaged Florida, as Ron DeSantis sidelined scientists and followed Trump (The Washington Post)
• Florida now has more Covid-19 cases than any other state. Here’s what went wrong. (Vox)
• COVID is leaking into Florida nursing homes as regulators allow exceptions (Miami Herald)
• DeSantis’ White House cover erodes as coronavirus spreads in Florida (Politico)
• ‘If It’s Here, It’s Here’: America’s Retirees Confront the Virus in Florida (The New York Times)
• Former COVID-19 data chief: Outbreak ‘much worse’ in Florida than DeSantis administration lets on (AlterNet)
• Too little too late: The story of how Florida shattered the country’s single-day COVID record (ABC News)
• Florida reports 15,000 new coronavirus cases, smashing national record (Politico)
• Florida emerges as world’s new epicenter for COVID-19 (The Hill)
• ‘We are where we are.’ Florida’s window to act on virus growth is closing, experts say (Miami Herald)
• 56 Florida hospital ICUs have hit capacity (CNN)
• U.S. surpasses 3 million confirmed coronavirus cases as Trump pushes to reopen schools (The Washington Post)
• Florida, Texas, Arizona face hurdles in getting outbreaks under control (The Hill)
• Florida shows signs as next coronavirus epicenter as cases spike across the country (CNN)
• Florida needs an executive order requiring wearing of face masks | Opinion (Tallahassee Democrat)
• DeSantis defies critics as coronavirus spreads in Florida (Politico)
• Data analysis shows a disturbing increase in coronavirus infections in Florida: report (AlterNet)
• Legislators to DeSantis: Be fully transparent with COVID-19 data, ‘Floridians can handle it’ (Miami Herald)
• Florida And S.C. Report New Spikes In Coronavirus Cases (npr)
• Coronavirus is hurting Florida’s renters and landlords. Here’s a remedy (Tampa Bay Times)
• What Happens if a Hurricane Hits During the Pandemic? (The New York Times)
• ‘This is not sustainable’: Public health departments, decimated by funding cuts, scramble against COVID-19 (USA Today)
• After refusing for weeks, Florida releases nursing home records, showing flurry of deaths (Miami Herald)

Image courtesy of Reuters / Steve Nesius