HOURS IN LINE.
MANY ARRIVED HOURS BEFORE THE
TEST
WE INTERRUPT THAT REPORT TO
TAKE YOU LIVE TO TALLAHASSEE
FOR GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS
GI
A LOT OF THESE TESTS COME
FROM OUR DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING
SITES, WHICH HAVE BEEN VERY
SUCCESSFUL.
OUR BROWER SITE HAS BEEN A
MODEL FOR OTHER NATIONAL GUARD
SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THEY CANNOT NECESSARILY SERVE
EVERYBODY.
NOT EVERYONE MAY HAVE THE
ABILITY TO TRAVEL TO ONE OF
THOSE DRIVE-THROUGH SITES.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO REACH
INTO COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO
PROVIDE ACCESS TO TESTING.
WE WORKED TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM
FOR NEIGHBORHOODS IN
JACKSONVILLE THAT WERE
UNDERSERVED.
I HAVE ASKED THE DIRECTOR TO
WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO
SEE WHERE THESE GOOD LOCATIONS
WOULD BE.
THESE TWO WERE SOME THAT WITH
LOCAL INPUT WE FELT WOULD MAKE
A REAL IMPACT.
TOMORROW I WILL ANNOUNCE.
SATURDAY THEY WILL BE OPEN FOR
TESTING.
YOU WILL HAVE 60 NATIONAL GUARD
MEN ALONG WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH STAFF AND THE BROWARD
SHERIFF'S OFFICE OPERATING THE
TWO SITES.
EACH WILL START DOING 200 TESTS
PER DAY.
THE PROCESS IS ANYONE
EXPERIENCING COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
CAN WALK UP TO THE SITE TO
RECEIVE A TEST OR CALL TO SET
UP AN APPOINTMENT.
APPOINTMENTS CAN BE MADE BY
CALLING 954.412.7300.
EACH CLIENT WILL BE PROVIDED A
BAG OF RESOURCES UPON EXITING.
DOH AND BROWARD WILL CALL EACH
PERSON TO ADVISE THEM OF
TESTING RESULTS.
IF A PERSON TESTS POSITIVE DOH
AND BROWARD IS PARTNERING WITH
THE FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH
CENTERS FOR FOLLOW-UP
TELEHEALTH.
WE THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
WAY TO EXPAND TESTING INTO
DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE
SOCIETY.
WE HOPE IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL
AND THAT THE RESPONSES GOOD.
YESTERDAY I ANNOUNCED THE
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
SERVICES WAS GOING TO TAKE OVER
THE COVID-19 RESPONSE REGARDING
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY.
TODAY ALONG WITH THE SECRETARY
I WILL LIKE TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL UPDATES ON WHERE WE
STAND AND HOW WE ARE MOVING
FORWARD TO GET PEOPLE THERE
MONEY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WHILE THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN DONE WITH THE
WEBSITE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO
SUBMIT INFORMATION MORE QUICKLY,
ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO GET
PEOPLE PAID.
I DIRECTED THE SECRETARY THAT
HAS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE
PRIORITY.
SO FAR DEL HAS MADE 121,102
PAYMENTS TO FLORIDIANS,
TOTALLY, $50 MILLION.
THIS INCLUDES NERDY 3623
INDIVIDUAL FLORIDIANS WHO APPLY
FOR BENEFITS AFTER THIS
ECONOMIC UPHEAVAL IN THE MIDDLE
OF MARCH.
THIS WEEK DEL MAIL 23,801
CHECKS FOR $600 FROM THE
FEDERAL MONEY UNDER THE CARES
ACT.
THOSE ARE PAPER CHECKS.
THE REASON IS WE WANTED IT TO
BE RECEIVED AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
FLORIDIANS WHO RECEIVED THEIR
600 OTHER CHECKS WILL RECEIVE
THEIR STATE BENEFIT BY DIRECT
DEPOSIT OR PREPAID DEBIT CARD,
BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL
APPLICANTS PREFERENCE.
WHILE WE HAVE MADE SOME
PROGRESS IN THE RECENT DAYS IT
IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
WE HAVE AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT
OF CLAIMS TO WORK THROUGH.
ONE OF THE REASONS SLOWING UP
THE CLAIMS IS THERE IS A
PROVISION IN LAW WHICH SAYS YOU
HAVE TO RECERTIFY EVERY TWO
WEEKS THAT YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED.
IF THE SYSTEM IS SUFFERING
UNDER TOO MUCH STRESS WHY WOULD
WE WANT PEOPLE TO GO ON AND
RECERTIFY?
WE KNOW WHAT THE ECONOMY IS
DOING RIGHT NOW.
I SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
TODAY, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM
TO WAIVE ANY NEEDLESS
BUREAUCRATIC RULES, I SIGNED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER TO SUSPEND THE
NEED FOR PEOPLE TO RETURN TO
THE CONNECT SYSTEM TO READ
RECERTIFY -- RECERTIFY.
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON
WITH THE ECONOMY.
WE HOPE IT IS SHORT-TERM, BUT
CLEARLY THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH YOU ARE
GOING TO FIND A NEW JOB.
I UNDERSTAND.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE WAITING THIS.
THE TECHNICIANS HAVE TOLD ME
THAT WOULD RELIEVE STRESS ON
THE SYSTEM SO SOME OF THE
APPLICATIONS CAN BE RUN THROUGH
CONNECT.
WE NEED TO DO AS GOOD AS WE CAN
ON THAT.
CERTAINLY THIS IS NOT A TIME TO
BE BOGGED OUT WITH THE ROCKER
SEE A RED TAPE.
THIS WILL HOPEFULLY FREE UP
SOME MORE SPACE TO BE ABLE TO
MOVE MORE CLAIMS THROUGH.
IT IS NOT A SILVER BULLET.
THERE ARE A BUNCH OF MOVING
PIECES.
I DO THINK IT WILL HELP.
THE SECRETARY WILL SAY A FEW
WORDS HERE IN A MINUTE.
I HAVE TOLD HIM TO TAKE
WHATEVER ACTION YOU NEED TO
SPEED THIS PROCESS ALONG.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE
GETTING THEIR COMPENSATION FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT.
IT IS A TOP PRIORITY.
HE UNDERSTANDS THOSE ORDERS AND
HE IS WORKING HARD.
THEY ARE WORKING AROUND THE
CLOCK.
WE ARE HAVING THIS IN 24/7.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT
GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
I HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH A
NUMBER OF FOLKS IN VARIOUS
PARTS OF THE STATE, HOSPITALS
WHO ARE WORKING AND I THINK THE
NUMBERS HAVE BEEN PRETTY STABLE
FOR FLORIDA.
STATEWIDE WE HAVE ABOUT 43% OF
THE BEDS IN FLORIDA AVAILABLE.
ICU BEDS JUST UNDER 40%.
IN MIAMI-DADE, WHICH HAS BY FAR
THE MOST CASES YOU HAVE ABOUT
42% OF THE HOSPITAL BEDS
AVAILABLE AND 40% OF THE ADULT
ICU BEDS AVAILABLE.
MOST OF THEM FEEL THEY HAVE
SEEN THIS PLATEAU IN TERMS OF
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE
HOSPITALS.
MOST OF THEM FEEL CONFIDENT
THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO MEET NEEDS GOING FORWARD.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE
CAN WE START HAVING SOME OF
THESE ELECTIVE SURGERIES
RESUME?
THERE WERE SOME THINGS IN THE
PRESIDENT'S GUIDANCE THAT HE
WILL BE ANNOUNCING AT 6 PM
ABOUT THAT.
IT DOES RAISE THE LARGER
QUESTION AS TO PHASE 2? WE HAD
A GREAT CALL WITH THE PRESIDENT
AND THE GOVERNORS A COUPLE
HOURS AGO TALKING ABOUT HOW THE
CDC ENVISIONS THIS AND WHAT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE.
WE ARE INTERNALIZING THAT.
I HAVE A TASK FORCE THAT WE
HAVE CREATED.
WE WILL HAVE THE FIRST MEETING
TOMORROW.
WE NEED TO BE READY TO GET BACK
TO WORK.
THERE WILL BE A LOT THAT GOES
INTO THIS.
YOU TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT
SEGMENTS OF THE ECONOMY AND
DIFFERENT MEASURES.
I THINK THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO
COME UP WITH A THOUGHTFUL
APPROACH TO ALLOW FOLKS TO GET
BACK TO WORK AND HOPEFULLY
MITIGATE SOME OF THE DAMAGE
THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
THAT WILL BE SOMETHING WE WILL
BE WORKING ON AROUND THE CLOCK
FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A PLAN
VERY SOON ON THAT.
THE LATEST UPDATES ON OUR
EFFORTS TO FIGHT COVID-19, YOU
CAN TEXT FL COVID-19 TO
888777.
I WANT TO LET THE SECRETARY
COME UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND
WE WILL BOTH BE READY TO TAKE
IF YOU QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, GOVERNOR.
ABOUT 26 HOURS AGO THE GOVERNOR
CALLED AND ASKED ME TO BE
SYMBOLS ON THE GROUND TO HELP
WITH THE UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY.
THE MANDATE WAS SINGULAR FOCUS,
AND THAT IS TO GET ELIGIBLE
FLORIDIANS PAID THEIR BENEFITS.
THE GOVERNOR HAS GIVEN US
AUTHORITY TO RALLY ALL STATE
RESOURCES.
WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF STATE
EMPLOYEES ASSISTING WITH THE
EFFORTS, PROCESSING THE
APPLICATIONS.
WE ARE CONSTANTLY MAKING
SOFTWARE UPGRADES.
TECHNOLOGY, AS YOU KNOW, IS A
COMPLICATED ENTERPRISE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE GOVERNOR
HAS ALLOWED US TO CUT THROUGH
THE BUREAUCRACY AND RED TAPE.
THE GOVERNOR IS SO FREQUENTLY A
PART OF THIS AND MY APPLIED THE
EXECUTIVE ORDER AND I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US
STREAMLINE THE PROCESS TO GET
FLORIDIANS PAID.
[ INAUDIBLE-QUESTION ]
JOHN MAY HAVE THE EXACT
NUMBER, I SAY IT IS AN
UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF CLAIMS.
HIS CHARGE IS TO PROCESS THOSE
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
PRIOR TO THIS IF YOU APPLIED IN
JANUARY, THIS IS A CUMBERSOME
PROCESS THAT WILL TAKE SEVERAL
WEEKS.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS 3% IT
IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I HAVE TOLD HIM ALL ROADBLOCKS
REMOVED.
OBVIOUSLY THIS INTERFACES WITH
FEDERAL DATABASES WHEN YOU ARE
TALKING SOCIAL SECURITY AND ALL
THIS OTHER STUFF.
THOSE ARE JUST THINGS THAT HAVE
TO BE WORKED THROUGH.
MY CHARGE TO HIM IS TO WORK
THROUGH IT AND DO IT 24/7 SO
THAT WE CAN GET THE CHECKS OUT.
[ INAUDIBLE-QUESTION ]
JARED IS PREPARING DIFFERENT
PLANS FOR HURRICANES.
OBVIOUSLY WE ARE PREPARING.
HE IS WORKING ON ALL KINDS OF
CONTINGENCY.
IT WILL BE AN ISSUE DEPENDING
ON HOW PREVALENT THIS VIRUS IS
DURING HURRICANE SEASON.
IF YOU ARE GETTING 100
CLAIMS PER DAY THAT STUFF CAN
BE WORKED THROUGH.
ACTUALLY, I REMEMBER LAWSON
TELLING ME THEY HAD TOO MANY
PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE WERE NOT A
LOT OF JOBLESS CLAIMS BEING
FILED.
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
I HOPE THIS IS NOT A SITUATION
THAT IS ENDURING.
I THINK FROM THE PRESIDENT ON
DOWN PEOPLE WANT TO GET OVER
THIS HUMP AND GET PEOPLE BACK
TO WORK.
IT IS NOT GOING TO BE 100%, BUT
WE HAVE TO GET ON THE ROAD TO
RECOVERY.
WITH MY EMERGENCY AUTHORITY I
HAVE WAIVED PRETTY MUCH
EVERYTHING I CAN.
THIS ONE I DIDN'T THINK I
NEEDED TO DO AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
FOR.
THE LABOR DEPARTMENT HAVE SAID
THIS CAN BE WAIVED.
THE AGENCY DIDN'T.
I HAVE TO FORCE THEIR HAND.
I THINK THAT WILL MAKE THINGS
MOVING LITTLE SMOOTHER.
NORMALLY BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN
APPLY THERE IS A TIMEFRAME.
WE WAIVE THAT.
AT LEAST PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO
APPLY IMMEDIATELY.
OBVIOUSLY THOSE RULES WERE PUT
IN D
[ INAUDIBLE-QUESTI
YOU CAN TALK TO THE
LEGISLATION ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS A
LEGISLATIONS ISSUE, I THINK
THEY ARE MORE TECHNICAL ISSUES
THAT NEED TO BE WORKED THROUGH.
IF THOSE WERE SOLVED YOU WILL
BE ABLE TO MOVE QUICKER.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE DONE SOME
THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE
AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN DO MORE.
I AM NOT SURE.
LOOK, WE NEED TO DO THIS NOW.
THE GOVERNOR AS WELL AS JOHN
SADLER WHO HAS TAKEN OVER THE
UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY TALKING ABOUT THE
UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF