Aug 18 Big Florida school districts defy governor over mask mandate By Freida Frisaro, Adriana Gomez Licon, Associated Press Students in Florida's Broward County went back to school under a mask mandate Wednesday, even as their school board faces threats of penalties for defying Gov. Ron DeSantis. Continue reading
Aug 13 Florida school mask ban faces legal challenge By Associated Press Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask requirements in schools faces a challenge in a Tallahassee courtroom. Continue reading
Aug 12 WATCH: Florida governor announces launch of virus rapid response unit By Associated Press Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he is launching a rapid response unit to expand the use of monoclonal antibodies and relieve pressure at hospitals that continue to report a rise in COVID-19 patients. Continue reading
Aug 10 Hospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID-19 By Terry Spencer, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Andrew Selsky, Associated Press The surge in COVID-19 infections across the U.S. has caused a shortage of nurses and other front-line staff in virus hot spots that can no longer keep up with the flood of unvaccinated patients. Continue reading
Aug 09 Judge blocks Florida law that prevents cruise lines from requiring proof of vaccination By Associated Press A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Florida law that prevents cruise lines from requiring passengers to prove they're vaccinated against COVID-19. The judge says it appears unconstitutional and won't likely hold up in court. Continue reading
Aug 08 Watch 3:47 ‘We are with you:’ Cuban protests find youth allies in Little Havana, Miami By Student Reporting Labs Thousands of Cubans took to the streets to protest the failing economy, food shortages and growing number of COVID-19 cases on the island. Fueled by social media, the protests also gained support and solidarity in Miami’s Little Havana, where young… Continue watching
Aug 06 Florida OKs school vouchers in districts requiring masks By Brendan Farrington, Adriana Gomez Licon, Associated Press Florida’s Board of Education decided Friday to provide private school vouchers to parents who say a public school district’s mask-wearing requirements amount to harassment of their children. Continue reading
Aug 05 Thousands of Floridians hospitalized with COVID-19, as governor rejects CDC recommendations By Kelli Kennedy, Associated Press Across Florida, more than 12,000 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, and nearly 2,500 of them were in ICU beds. Continue reading
Aug 03 Watch 4:11 News Wrap: COVID-19 vaccination mandates spread in the U.S. as the delta variant surges In our news wrap Tuesday, mandates for COVID-19 vaccinations spread to more of the U.S. as the delta variant surges, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected any new restrictions, New York became the nation's first big city to require proof… Continue watching
Aug 03 Florida again breaks record for COVID-19 hospitalizations By Freida Frisaro, Associated Press The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Florida rose to an all-time high of 11,515 patients in one day, according to data the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released Tuesday. Continue reading