Florida's Latest News

Florida closes emergency operations center after 12 on staff test positive for COVID

Florida officials shut down the state’s emergency operations center on Thursday after 12 staffers tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks.

The building, which functions as the state’s command center during statewide emergencies, is closed until Monday and will undergo a deep cleaning, according to the Division of Emergency Management, which operates the center.

The positive cases were discovered after the state started testing employees for COVID-19 twice per week in June. All 12 were not displaying symptoms and passed the building’s screening protocols, which include a questionnaire and temperature checks, according to division Director Jared Moskowitz.

Helen Aguirre Ferré leaves DeSantis’ office, becomes new executive director for Florida GOP

Helen Aguirre Ferré, a former Miami TV and radio host who for the last 1 1/2 years has worked as communications director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, will be the new executive director for the Republican Party of Florida.

Ferré‘s hiring was announced Thursday by party Chairman Joe Gruters during an internal call with members of Florida’s Republican Executive Committee. Gruters, a state senator from Sarasota, said Ferré will help steer the party during the final 109 days of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. Florida is considered a critical state for Trump.

“I am excited to have someone of her caliber and experience who will manage the day-to-day operations of the RPOF,” Gruters said. “Her previous experiences at the White House and the RNC will make it so she has an immediate impact.”

DeSantis Says Reopening Schools A 'Collaborative Effort'

Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Wednesday the Florida Department of Education should not dictate local school-district decisions, even though the department issued an emergency order that says schools must reopen in August unless health officials say otherwise.

Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran issued the order July 6, on the same day President Donald Trump tweeted that, “SCHOOLS MUST REOPEN THIS FALL!” The order said all school districts must reopen brick-and-mortar schools at least five days a week starting in August, unless local and state health officials direct otherwise.

“I understand the commissioner has done some stuff on that, and that’s fine. But at the end of the day, these school superintendents have unique constituencies and it is going to be a collaborative effort,” said DeSantis, a staunch Trump ally.

North Florida prison has 442 prisoners with coronavirus

A prison in rural North Florida has seen the number of inmates diagnosed with COVID-19 explode, with more than 400 prisoners reported testing positive for the virus.

This past Sunday, 30 inmates at Columbia Correctional Institution had tested positive for the deadly respiratory disease, according to a Florida Department of Corrections report. By Thursday, the number had soared to 442 prisoners, as the virus continued to show that it can move rapidly through Florida’s prison system. 

Columbia is one of 15 Florida prisons that have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks of at least 100 inmate cases. The prisons include Homestead Correctional Institution, with 302 cases; South Bay Correctional Facility, with 225 cases; Liberty Correctional Institution, with 215 cases, and Hamilton Correctional Institution, with 204 cases.