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Positive COVID test results continue to stay below 10%
13th straight day below 10%
Are you ready for some football?
Scroll to the bottom and read about the contributions our agencies and departments are making to Florida
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Tampa Bay Times
MIAMI GARDENS — Gov. Ron DeSantis declared Miami-Dade County safe enough to partially fill stadiums for live sporting events as newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Florida hit the lowest single-day amount reported since June 14.
At Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday afternoon, DeSantis discussed a state order that preempts local rules on sporting events, therefore allowing Miami-Dade County to welcome some fans to attend Miami Dolphins and University of Miami Hurricanes games this season.
According to the Miami Dolphins, 13,000 fans — or 20 percent capacity — will be permitted to attend the Dolphin’s home opener against the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Hurricanes’ home opener against the University of Alabama at Birmingham next month. Season-ticket holders get first dibs, according to the Dolphins.
Yet it’s still unclear what other sports franchises were going to do. Other teams like the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs are similarly allowing fans to attend games in a limited capacity. DeSantis said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars are “working on their own plans.”
Kaiser Health News
Even as his state is a hotbed for COVID-19, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been pushing schools to reopen so parents have the choice of sending children back to the classroom or keeping them home to learn virtually. The Republican governor has said children without any underlying health conditions would benefit from in-person learning and the stimulation and companionship of being among other young people. He has also made clear that he thinks these benefits far outweigh what he considers to be minimal risks.
“The fact is, in terms of the risk to schoolkids, this is lower risk than seasonal influenza,” DeSantis said, during an Aug. 10 televised roundtable discussion on education.
DeSantis’ assertion got us wondering, so we asked the governor’s office what evidence it had to back up the claim.
Looking at the Numbers
A spokesperson responded with data from the Florida Department of Health showing the state’s COVID-19 mortality rate is 0.02% for people 24 and younger. That’s the same as the influenza mortality rate for this age group.
But for children 14 and younger, the spokesperson said, Florida’s COVID-19 mortality rate is 0.009%, far below the 0.01% for flu for that age group.
And the risk of death is not the only concern children face if infected by the COVID-19 virus. They can develop complications that require hospitalization.
City Journal
College has been back in session barely a week, and already we see pictures of large, unmasked parties, followed by reports of Covid-19 outbreaks and then a move to online classes. It has already happened at the University of North Carolina and Notre Dame, and we can expect more to come. The students seem so reckless and irresponsible; they just ruined their college semester, and now they and their non-partying fellow students must go back to online learning. The parties appear to be walking, breathing, and disease-spreading evidence that human beings are irrational and can’t understand risk.
Our economy and public health now depend on our fellow citizens making sensible risk choices. Managing our lives in the age of the coronavirus is an especially difficult risk problem. We must weigh carefully the risks involved in the activities we choose because our choices affect others. People are notoriously bad at making decisions under uncertainty; they are perhaps even worse at accounting for how their choices impact others.
New Thinking on Covid Lockdowns: They’re Overly Blunt and Costly
The Wall Street Journal
In response to the novel and deadly coronavirus, many governments deployed draconian tactics never used in modern times: severe and broad restrictions on daily activity that helped send the world into its deepest peacetime slump since the Great Depression.
The equivalent of 400 million jobs have been lost world-wide, 13 million in the U.S. alone. Global output is on track to fall 5% this year, far worse than during the financial crisis, according to the International Monetary Fund.
The FDA’s Good Plasma Decision
The Wall Street Journal
Here we go again. President Trump hypes a Covid-19 therapy that has shown potential based on early studies. The Food and Drug Administration approves the treatment for emergency use and gets lambasted for letting politics influence the science.
This is what occurred with the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and now is happening with convalescent plasma, which the FDA on Sunday granted “emergency use authorization” (EUA). Mr. Trump was wrong to tweet over the weekend that “the deep state” at the FDA was thwarting development..
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COViD-19 by the numbers | COVID -19 Fatalities
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ICUs and hospital beds by the numbers | Current as of 8/24/2020
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22.35%
% of ICU Beds Available Statewide
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42.32% % of Pediatric ICU Beds Available Statewide
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23.86% % of Available Hospital Beds Statewide
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Governor Advocates Getting an AntibodyTest - You Could Save a Life
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Stoneman Douglas leader finalist for national principal of the year Sun Sentinel The principal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland is in the running to be named top secondary principal in the United States. Michelle Kefford is one of three finalists who will compete for the 2021 National Principal of the Year, which will be announced Oct. 21 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals in a virtual ceremony.
Kefford was named Florida’s principal of the year in March 2019, while at Charles Flanagan High School, where she was credited for improving student achievement and helping the school achieve and maintain an A grade. The national principals’ organization picked three national finalists from state winners. Kefford, who lives in Parkland, was transferred to Stoneman Douglas in July 2019, following an administrative shakeup that came in the wake of the 2018 school shooting. “Kefford believes that if members of the school community feel valued, respected, appreciated, and loved, the teachers will give more, the students will learn more, and the school will be an amazing place,” the principals’ association wrote. The other finalists are Adam Clemons from Piedmont, Ala., and Richard Gordon of Philadelphia.
Florida Gateway College is expanding its education program for Florida inmates WCJB
Florida Gateway College is expanding its education program for Florida inmates.
FGC is now offering a B.A. degree in water resource management for people incarcerated in the Columbia Corrections Institution.
The degree prepares graduates for jobs in the field of water conservation, resources, and policy. Of the 60 inmates enrolled in the Second Chance Pell Program this summer, 55 had a 4.0 GPA.
This semester classes will be held online only.
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Department of Children and Families
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Virtual Reality is Changing the Way DCF Trains
DCF’s Adult Protective Services (APS) program and mental health facilities throughout the state are joining together with the internal Office of Training and Talent Management to deploy virtual reality as a new training tool. This technology was originally utilized by DCF’s Suncoast Region APS program, and it has since been incorporated into recruitment efforts at job fairs, allowing prospective frontline staff to experience on-the-job scenarios before they actually start working. Currently, there is a workgroup collaborating to create scripts focusing on general situational awareness and staff safety before expanding into more program-specific training modules. The ultimate goal is for this technology to be used department-wide, tailored to each program areas’ training needs.
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Department of Emergency Management
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Three Florida emergency management staff members have been sent to Mississippi to help set up shelters that comply with coronavirus health regulations, as the region experienced Tropical Storm Marco on Monday and awaits Hurricane Laura. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a tweet that the assistance returns help provided during Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Division spokesman Jason Mahon said the people deployed have expertise in planning and sheltering. “Staff are deployed at the request of other states,” Mahon said in an email. “At this time, we have not received requests from Louisiana or Texas, however, the division stands ready to support our neighbors as they prepare for impacts from Hurricane Laura.” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ daily schedule released Tuesday afternoon noted a phone call earlier in the day with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican. Details of the call were not immediately available from the governor’s office.
Marco made landfall about 6 p.m. Monday near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Laura was on a path in the Gulf of Mexico to reach an area near the Texas-Louisiana border by early Thursday.
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Florida coronavirus: 10th straight day under 5,000 new cases News Channel 8
Florida health officials reported fewer than 5,000 new cases of coronavirus for the tenth straight day Tuesday.
The state verified 2,673 new cases Tuesday. It’s the tenth day in a row the daily case count has been below 5,000. Among the new cases, health officials reported a 7.49% positivity rate, a 2% jump from Monday’s report and the first time we’ve been over 7% in a week.
Percent positivity for new cases is the number of people who test PCR (nose swabs) or antigen-positive for the first time divided by all the people tested that day.
Of all test results received Monday, 11.34% were positive. The state counted 4,937 positive results and 38,587 negatives. This includes people who have been tested multiple times.
The state reported 183 virus fatalities Tuesday. The report does not mention the exact date of death, therefore the deaths announced may not be from the past 24 hours. It can sometimes take weeks for fatalities to be logged.
The state has tallied a total of 605,502 infections and 10,580 resident deaths since the pandemic began.
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Agency for Persons with Disabilities
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College of Music to continue successful virtual tele-therapy services FSU News
Like many other healthcare providers around the world, music therapy faculty and students from the Florida State University College of Music have reinvented how they deliver services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, FSU’s music therapists are providing tele-music therapy, which allows them to provide beneficial services to clients in a safe manner and offers opportunities and challenges for student training.
“The Music Therapy program at Florida State is one of the nation’s largest and most respected programs,” said Michael Thrasher, interim dean of the FSU College of Music. “Our students and faculty have long been on the cutting edge of the profession, and we are proud of their creativity and ingenuity during the current health crisis. We appreciate their efforts to continue meeting the needs of both students and clients.”
Under the supervision of Assistant Professor of Music Therapy Lori Gooding, students were able to provide music therapy services to participants enrolled in a community program over the summer and will continue to work with other community partners this fall.
Music therapy sessions focused on life, social, independence and employability skills and include live music. Virtual sessions still give participants the opportunity to engage in active music making, movement to music, songwriting and song discussion.
“Switching to teleservices unexpectedly was a challenge, but it also provided the opportunity for us to rethink current practice and expand how we prepare students for practice moving forward,” Gooding said. “And, equally as important, we were able to provide music therapy services when members of our community — perhaps now more than ever — need access to services and support.”
Over the summer, FSU’s music therapy program partnered with multiple organizations to provide tele-music therapy services for students and young adults with disabilities, including the ACE Transition Program, State of Florida Vocational Rehabilitation, Leon County Schools, KEYS (Keys to Exceptional Youth Success- keysbigbend.org) and Independence Landing.
Before COVID-19 required the program to be solely remote, Cassie Ferrer, a senior who participated in the program this summer, was skeptical about tele-services.
“I now understand how using tele-services after we return to campus can be beneficial to some clients, maybe even make music therapy more accessible to them,” Ferrer said. “It is an incredible alternative for in-person clinical hours and really works, both for us as students and for the clients. I feel like we gained a lot from doing this online, rather than losing anything.”
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Florida Department of Corrections
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FDC Analyst Named 2020 FGIA Analyst of the Year
The Florida Gang Investigators Association recently named nominee Christie Dolan of FDC’s Office of Intelligence the 2020 Analyst of the Year in the Corrections Division!
Ms. Dolan joined FDC in 2003 as a correctional officer at Apalachee Correctional Institution where she served in various capacities for 14 years before going to the Office of Intelligence to serve as an analyst. In 2019, she promoted to her current position. In her current role, Ms. Dolan has represented FDC as a subject matter expert to the nation’s intelligence community on the role of intelligence in corrections. FDC’s Office of Intelligence mission is to provide timely, relevant, accurate, and synchronized intelligence to tactical, operational, and strategic level managers and leaders within FDC. The Office of Intelligence produces intelligence both for FDC use and for sharing across the local and national intelligence communities. The Office focuses on a hybrid combination of criminal intelligence strategies and business intelligence. Both areas stem from data analytics to create a cohesive, evidence-based approach towards producing a safe and secure environment among institutions while advancing FDC’s strategic initiatives.
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Hernando Sun
In the more than a half century that has passed since its creation, Dino certainly has led quite the life. It's a community landmark. It's a community business. It's a dinosaur. And now, it is a certified national landmark.
The building located at 5299 Commercial Way in Spring Hill takes the shape of a dinosaur character known as Dino, an "Apatosaurus" that stands 47 feet tall and is 110 feet long. And Dino is now officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places; an official list of the Nation's historical sites deemed worthy of preservation.
"It is a pleasure to notify you that the National Park Service officially listed (the Sinclair Service Station) in the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 2020," read a letter written by Ruben A. Acosta, Survey & Registration Supervisor of the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Florida Department of State.
"Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archaeological resources," reports the National Register of Historic Places website, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm.
The Hernando Board of County Commissioners was alerted to this proposal April 13, via a letter received from Acosta. The nomination proposal, the letter revealed, was set to be reviewed by the Florida National Register Review Board in a public meeting that took place May 28, in Tallahassee. If the property met the criteria for listing in the national register, the letter continued, a formal nomination would be submitted to the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C., who would make the final decision. In the meantime, comments and support for the nomination were solicited to facilitate the nomination. Then the nomination was formalized and, on May 28, the Florida National Register Review Board formally nominated the Sinclair Service Station located at 5299 Commercial Way in Spring Hill, Hernando County, for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
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Agency for Health Care Administration
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Florida reports 2,258 coronavirus cases, smallest daily total since June 15 Tampa Bay Times
What’s the picture in Florida’s hospitals?
In addition to falling death and infection rates, Monday’s update showed that the number of patients admitted into Florida hospitals for treatment of COVID-19, the acute respiratory infection caused by the virus, is also showing a steep decline.
According to the health department, state hospitals were treating 4,646 patients Monday. That’s less than half the average number of patients in hospitals last month, when numbers peaked above 9,.500.
The number of people testing positive for the first time remained low at 5.20 percent on Monday.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Florida’s hospitals have admitted 37,032 coronavirus patients for treatment. That represents an increase of 129 more than Sunday’s count. In recent weeks, that daily increase has been as high as 500 hospitalizations over 24 hours.
Data maintained by the Agency for Health Care Administration showed roughly 22 percent availability for adult intensive care unit beds in hospitals throughout the state on Monday, and slightly more than 42 percent of pediatric ICU beds were available.
Statewide, hospitals reported 25.5 percent availability for regular patient beds, records show.
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Department of The Lottery
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Jacksonville man claims $1 million prize in Florida Lottery scratch-off Florida Times-Union
A 34-year-old Jacksonville man found out the fastest way to a million bucks is through the Florida Lottery, claiming a scratch-off top prize and transferring it to an irrevocable trust.
The $30 Fastest Road to $1,000,000 ticket was bought at the Gate station at 700 Durbin Pavilion Drive in Saint Johns. The Lottery announced Tuesday that the OHKEMU Irrevocable Trust under trustee Andrew Woods claimed the winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $790,000.
Terms of irrevocable trusts cannot be modified, amended or terminated without the permission of the grantor's named beneficiary or beneficiaries, according to financial investors.
The Fastest Road to $1,000,000 game launched in February and features 155 top prizes, 110 of which remain, according to the Florida Lottery website.
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Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
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Veterans’ Newsletter Now Available
The August 2020 edition of the Forward March Veterans’ Newsletter, produced by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, is now available online at https://bit.ly/3aYnMGA
The monthly newsletter, which features updates on COVID-19, is another tool to help connect Florida veterans and their families with earned federal and state services, benefits and support. For more information on the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, visit www.FloridaVets.org.
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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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Tampa Bay Times
"This is a new species that FWC helped describe in 2014," a Facebook post says.
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying [ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have trapped some large snapping turtles that they are studying, the group announced on its Facebook page.
“This week our biologists were out checking traps set for the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys suwanniensis,” the Facebook post reads. “This is a new species that FWC helped describe in 2014. FWC is collaborating with other researchers in Florida and Georgia to document the distribution and relative abundance of this state threatened species.
“Six 4-foot diameter hoop net traps were set in the New River, north of Gainesville. In one trap, they caught a 100-pound male and a 46-pound female, another trap had a 64-pound male. The New River is a blackwater stream with low biological productivity, so finding a large turtle in such a small stream is unusual.”
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Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
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Delta Doubles Cleaning Staff and Commits to Blocking Middle Seats Until 2021 Travel + Leisure Delta Air Lines is enhancing its COVID-19 safety protocols by doubling its pre-flight cleaning staff and committing to blocking middle seats until at least 2021.
The airline will now have at least eight employees disinfect planes between flights — depending on the plane size — instead of three to five, Reuters reported on Monday.
“We’ve done quite a lot of change to our turn process,” Mike Medeiros, the head of Delta’s new Global Cleanliness division, told the wire service.“As important as [being] on-time is to our company, we know that cleanliness, particularly in this environment but also going forward, will be just as important.”
Delta will focus on common touchpoints like tray tables and bathroom door handles, Reuters noted, and have the staffers spray areas with disinfectant. After, a flight attendant and gate agent will inspect the cabin together and call back the cleaning staff if necessary.
The airline is also implementing test kits buying ATP test kits to measure bacteria, Reuters noted.
The additional staffers will also decrease the time it typically takes to clean a plane, however, Medeiros noted that the team will make sure everything is up to standard before passengers board.
“Even if that means taking a delay to the flight,” he said.
In addition to cleaning, Delta said it would continue to block middle seats until at least Jan. 6, 2021 and limit the number of passengers on board through at least Oct. 31.
“Medical experts... agree – more distance onboard makes a difference,” Bill Lentsch, the chief customer experience officer, said in a statement. “We believe that taking care of our customers and employees and restoring confidence in the safety of air travel is more important right now than filling up every seat on a plane. We’ll continue taking a thoughtful, layered approach ensuring customers know to expect the highest standard of care as they prepare for their holiday travels.”
Delta has also maintained a strict mask-wearing policy, placing people on a no-fly list if they refuse to comply and are even requiring passengers to wear a certain type of mask.
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement
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FDLE lab match leads to charges, $2 million bond for suspect in April shooting of Pensacola homeowner WEAR A Pensacola man has been charged for shooting another man back in April after recent state lab results linked him to the incident. Jesse Boone Jacobs, 39, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated battery and two weapon offenses. The incident happened on April 10 in the area of Tippin Ave. and John Carroll Dr. According to an arrest report, a man said he confronted a suspect who was in front of their home. This came after the man's daughter witnessed the suspect potentially about to break into a neighbor's home. The report states that when the man confronted the suspect -- later identified as Jacobs -- Jacobs shot the man twice and fired multiple other shots. The man's injuries were not life-threatening. Police found shell casings at the scene, as well as a backpack that witnesses said belonged to the shooter. The report states the backpack contained ammunition. According to the report, police also located a BMW near the scene. They recognized the BMW as the vehicle being driven by Jacobs when they were called by his brother about an hour prior to the shooting for a mental complaint. Jacobs' brother told police he was concerned that Jacobs had several firearms. Around 6 a.m. on April 11, police found Jacobs hiding in the backyard of a Maui Court home and arrested him for attempted burglary. In a search of the area, police found a Glock 27 gun. The arrest report states that on Aug. 20, results from the FDLE Lab Report matched the Glock 27 with the shell casings found at the scene of the Tippin Ave. shooting. Police arrested Jacobs on Monday around 8:30 p.m. He is being held in Escambia County Jail on $2,100,000 bond.
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Florida Housing Finance Corpration
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AmeriCorps members with The Arc of Palm Beach County support adults with developmental disabilities in daily life skills, education and recreational activities. In response to COVID-19, members created a Zoom-based learning program to adapt their services and keep their clients engaged.
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Department of Business and Professional Regulation
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You can dine inside Miami-Dade restaurants starting Monday Sun Sentinel
Diners who have been shut outside of Miami-Dade County restaurants for almost two months to fight the spread of COVID-19 can dine in starting Monday.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez cited low positivity rates for coronavirus cases when he announced the news in a virtual news conference on Tuesday. He also announced rules that restaurants must follow to allow indoor dining, including:
A maximum of six people to a table, inside or outside;
Restaurants must keep all windows and doors open at all times;
And restaurants must keep air conditioning on at all times.
The decision to relax the rules comes about a week after Gov. Ron DeSantis said South Florida could move into a Phase 2 reopening soon. Gimenez said the White House Task Force allowed the county to open up indoor dining because the daily positivity rate is below 10%.
That’s the highest level at which health experts say business establishments can start to reopen.
Gimenez said the White House Task Force would also allow the county to extend its curfew by one hour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., but Gimenez said he wanted to wait until after the Labor Day holiday weekend.
“We also want to see what effect this opening has on our positivity rate and hospitalization rate,” Gimenez said. “Good news is today we have below 1,000 people in the hospital for the first time in some time. Less people on ventilators, less people obviously in our ICUs so it’s all good news and the trend keeps going down.”
In the same breath, Gimenez warned people against letting their guard down. He encouraged people to continue wearing masks both indoors and outdoors, social distancing and being careful not to introduce the virus to their households if they’ve been out and about.
“This does not mean this is over by a long shot,” he said. “If we do all that, then we can keep this positivity level going in the right direction ... While we’re heading in the right direction, we’re not out of the woods, we just need to keep our guard up.”
Despite Coronavirus Pandemic, Florida’s Housing Market Did Well in July Florida Daily
Florida’s housing market continued its positive momentum in July despite the coronavirus pandemic, with more closed sales, more new pending sales, higher median prices and more new listings compared to a year ago, according to Florida Realtors latest housing data.
Single-family existing homes sales rose 11.7 percent compared to July 2019, “the best monthly performance for this property type since January’s nearly 18 percent increase,” according to Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor.
“New pending sales of single-family homes also showed big gains, up by 21.7 percent compared to July of last year,” he said. “Coupled with the 23.2 percent year-over-year increase in new pending sales in June, all indications are that this wave of closed sales will continue on through the end of the summer and perhaps beyond. Year-to-date through July, statewide single-family existing home sales are only down by about 4 percent compared to last year – so it’s quite likely that by the end of August, we will be in positive territory overall for 2020.”
O’Connor noted that July’s existing condo-townhouse closed sales rose year-over-year as well, while the category’s new pending sales increased 19 percent compared to July 2019, after a gain of 19.8 percent year-over-year in June – “putting us in great shape going into the fall.”
July’s market data shows the underlying strength of Florida’s economy and real estate sector, according to 2020 Florida Realtors President Barry Grooms, a realtor and co-owner of Florida Suncoast Real Estate in Bradenton.
“The latest data shows our state’s housing market continues to recover from the stall experienced this spring,” Grooms said. “Even as we all must continue to take the recommended precautions to safeguard our health and our communities due to the pandemic, record-low interest rates and a renewed interest in homeownership are driving homebuyer demand. Consumers can turn to a local realtor for expert advice and guidance on how to navigate the complexities of buying or selling a home.”
Last month’s closed sales of single-family homes statewide rose 11.7 percent year-over-year, totaling 31,436, while existing condo-townhouse sales totaled 11,147, up 6.5 percent – the first year-over-year increase in this category since March, according to O’Connor. Closed sales may occur from 30- to 90-plus days after sales contracts are written.
In July, the statewide median sales prices for both single-family homes and condo-townhouse properties rose year-over-year for the 103rd consecutive month. The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes was $295,000, up 10.1 percent from the previous year, according to data from Florida Realtors Research Department in partnership with local realtor boards/associations. Last month’s statewide median price for condo-townhouse units was $210,000, up 11.7 percent over the year-ago figure. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.
Year-over-year growth in median sale prices was up soundly for both property type categories in July, according to O’Connor.
“I caution that these year-over-year percentage increases may be slightly overstated, as many higher-priced market areas that are normally cooling down this time of year are unusually active because their peak seasons were pushed back (due to the pandemic),” he said. “But most of these increases truly can be attributed to home price appreciation being driven by lower mortgage interest rates inducing greater demand. When rates go down, you can afford a higher-priced home – but then again, so can competing buyers, so we’re definitely seeing prices getting bid upward,” O’Connor said on Friday.
On the supply side of the market, inventory remains scarce and is an area of concern, particularly in the single-family existing home category, which was at a severely restricted 2.5 months’ supply in July. Condo-townhouse inventory (active listings) was at a 5.6-months’ supply.
According to Freddie Mac, the interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.02 percent in July 2020, down from the 3.77 percent averaged during the same month a year earlier.
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Department of Juvenile Justice
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Florida Department of Elder Affairs
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Department of Management Services
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Department of Enviromental Protection
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ANERR participates in Mangrove Sighting Network
2020 is the third year that Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) has participated in the Mangrove Sighting Network (MSN). This collaborative effort, spanning northwest Florida from Escambia to Wakulla County, aims to detect and monitor mangroves in parts of Florida. In July, staff visited twenty transects spanning the coastlines of Franklin County, exploring salt marshes, oyster spits, sloughs and tidal creeks from St. Vincent Island, Little St. George Island and St. George Island all the way to Dog Island, Alligator Harbor and Bald Point. Growth, reproduction, and spatial data were collected on over 120 red (Rhizophora mangle) and black mangroves (Avicennia germinans). Mangroves were measured up to 3 meters (9 feet) in height and were frequently associated with saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus), and sea-marigold (Borrichia frutescens). The majority of trees had signs of successful reproduction. Mangroves play a vital role in protecting Florida coastlines from the negative effects of sea level rise. Mangrove roots prevent erosion, filter out pollutants and provide habitats for many species of fish. Maintaining accurate data on Florida's mangrove populations is vital to the state's coastal resiliency. DEP remains committed to continuing to our efforts protect Florida's coast, even amid the challenging conditions presented by COVID-19.
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Department of Transportation
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3 launches planned from Space Coast this week News Channel 2000 CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — People living along the Space Coast may hear and feel sonic booms this week and that's just from one of three launches set for lift-off in the coming days. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is preparing to send up a United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy 4 and two SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. Gen. Doug Schiess says the 45th Space Wing is excited to take on a potentially historic week at Cape Canaveral, weather permitting. One of the three missions marks the first time since the 60s that Florida has put a rocket into polar orbit, meaning an orbit perpendicular to a typical launch. It's also the launch expected to cause the sonic booms when its booster lands. Much work and research have gone into making sure the launch won't pose risks on Earth in its southbound trajectory. "It will overfly Cuba but it will be at an altitude where we're safe,” Schiess said. Safety on the ground has been a major focus too during the pandemic. "We take temperatures as we go into our operations centers, we wear face coverings," Schiess said. Hosting three launches with little time in between requires careful choreography. "For instance, if you're in the weather squadron, we might not be able to do everybody three separate crews, but those folks won't interact with the range operations folks, or the surveillance folks," Schiess said. And if all goes as planned, for the crews and people who like watching rockets fly, this week gives three good reasons to look up. Schiess said it’s unfortunate people will not be allowed to watch the launches from the Kennedy Space Center. “I know they can watch it from the beaches and their homes, but we'd love to have a bunch of people up at Kennedy Space Center, we can't do that right now but hopefully they have a chance to look at it from wherever they're at and see some spectacular launches,” Schiess said. This is the first time three launches have been scheduled from the Space Coast so close to one another in nearly 20 years. So far, the weather looks favorable. The first launch window opens early Thursday at 2:12 a.m.
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