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

• FL leads the country with 343 cases of the more contagious COVID strain; state officials slow to provide info (Florida Phoenix)
• More than 60,000 COVID cases related to FL K-12 public and private schools raise questions about safety (Florida Phoenix)
• ‘A catastrophe’: ALFs see one-quarter of elder-care deaths, but inspections fall short (TCPalm)
• FYI: New, potentially more lethal COVID strain has spread to 22 states; FL now has 50 cases of the variant (Florida Phoenix)
• Reality sets in for limited COVID vaccinations in FL: Residents face long waits until new vaccines emerge (Florida Phoenix)
• FL now leads nation in the # of cases of a troubling new COVID 19 strain; state officials aren’t alerting public (Florida Phoenix)
• Amid widespread infection, Florida Gov. DeSantis fails on COVID vaccine, too | Opinion (Miami Herald)
• Florida COVID cases at record high as deaths also rise (AP News)
• Why are coronavirus deaths doubling in Florida’s nursing homes? (Tampa Bay Times)
• Task force recommends stricter virus measures for Florida (AP News)
• Pandemic Intensifies Food, Housing Struggles for Florida Families (Public News Service)
• DeSantis refused to disclose White House coronavirus report that contradicts him (Tampa Bay Times)
• Florida is ranked dead last in care for its aging. How will you spend your last years? (Tallahassee Democrat)
• New AARP COVID dashboard for nursing homes reveals Florida’s standing nationwide (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
• Florida’s Miami-Dade Pushes Back On Loosening Of Coronavirus Restrictions (npr)
• Fauci says it’s ‘very concerning’ that Florida is re-opening bars and restaurants at full capacity (NBC News)
• Florida lifts all coronavirus restaurant restrictions despite persistent cases (CBS News)
• DeSantis OKs state moving into Phase 3 of reopening, lifting most limits (Herald-Tribune)
• ‘That’s what college kids do.’ DeSantis wants protections for partying students (Politico)
• Gov. DeSantis to ease COVID-19 restrictions (WCTV)
• Advancing Action, 2020 Scorecard Report: State Rankings (AARP)
• New Florida law will shrink Medicaid waiting list (Orlando Weekly)
• Florida to reopen bars, pack restaurants after DeSantis claims Covid-19 under control (Politico)
• Rapid coronavirus testing is now at Louisiana nursing homes. What does this mean for visitations? (The New Orleans Advocate)
• More than 850 FSU students, employees test positive for COVID-19 (WTXL Tallahassee)
• As Virus Wanes in Florida, a City Battles ‘Pandemic Fatigue’ (The New York Times)
• Florida’s Cautionary Tale: How Gutting and Muzzling Public Health Fueled COVID Fire (KHN)
• GOP governors ignored mask mandate advice from task force (Roll Call)
• Florida Has A New Advocate For Nursing Home Residents, As They’re Set To Soon Receive Visitors Again (WLRN)
• Florida was social distancing less and less, until its summer coronavirus explosion (Tampa Bay Times)
• Florida’s Cautionary Tale: How Gutting and Muzzling Public Health Fueled COVID Fire (KHN)
• Florida teachers battle Gov. DeSantis over return to classrooms (NBC News)
• Colleges’ best-laid coronavirus plans quickly come undone (Politico)
• 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