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DeSantis touts in-person options as Florida schools begin reopening amid coronavirus

Gov. Ron DeSantis led a discussion about coronavirus and the reopening of schools on Monday.

The planned discussion began after noon along with state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran at the Winthrop College Prep Academy in Riverview, which is in Hillsborough County.

Several counties have already begun school for the 2020-2021 academic year including Orange County on Monday, which began with distance learning.

The two praised school districts that opted for in-person, brick-and-mortar options while also being flexible with parents not comfortable sending children back to school while COVID-19 remains a threat.

Florida’s coronvirus stats dip: 77 deaths, 6,229 new cases

Florida saw a decline in coronavirus deaths and new cases on Sunday, with 77 reported fatalities and 6,229 reported new cases.

That compares to 187 new deaths and 8,502 confirmed cases reported Saturday. Still, the average number of deaths reported over the last seven days is 158.

And the number of hospitalizations due to the virus crept up slightly. The state reported 6,857 patients were being treated in hospitals because of the virus, compared to 6,836 the day before. Miami-Dade County had the most hospitalizations with 1,510, followed by Broward County with 909.

Shevrin Jones tried to donate plasma after getting COVID-19. FDA policy turned him away.

Rep. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat currently running for the state Senate, says he was turned away Friday while attempting to donate his plasma at a OneBlood truck set up in the parking lot of the Pembroke Park church where his father’s a pastor.

Jones, who went to donate plasma with his father, mother and brother, all of whom recently recovered from COVID-19, said his donation was “deferred” after he answered “yes” to a screening question that asked if he had sex with a man in the last three months.

Jones is one of Florida’s few openly gay lawmakers.

DeSantis says he opposes $110 million contract for company that built flawed unemployment system

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he opposes a lucrative state contract worth at least $110 million given to the same company that created the beleaguered unemployment system but he added that he can do nothing about it.

A protest has been filed over the deal, DeSantis said, presumably by one of the other bidders, but neither he nor his office would say who submitted it or why.

“If you look at the law, as governor I’m not allowed to be involved in that in any way,” DeSantis said Friday at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort. “There’s a good reason for that. So I’m not involved. ... I just can’t go in and void it, legally. [But] I don’t like it.”