OUR COVERAGE OF THE
PANDEMIC CONTINUES NOW WITH
STATE SENATOR MANNY DIAZ
JUNIOR.
HE JOINS US AS A SPOKESMAN FOR
THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
EARLIER IN THE SHOW WE REPORTED
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
STUDY THAT FOUND MORE THAN
160,000 RESIDENTS OF MIAMI-DADE
HAVE ANTIBODIES OF THE VIRUS.
MANY MAY HAVE HAD A PAST
INFECTION, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE
THAN THE NUMBER CONFIRMED BY
THE STATE.
WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF CONCERN
ABOUT A WIDER SPREAD OF
INFECTION?
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
TESTING IS IMPORTANT.
THE STUDY REVEALS WHAT HAS
ALREADY BEEN REVEALED IN
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND LA
COUNTY.
THE VIRUS IS PROBABLY MORE
CONTAGIOUS THAN WE THOUGHT
BEFORE.
ON THE FLIPSIDE, IT LOOKS LIKE
IT COULD BE THE MORTALITY RATE
COULD BE MUCH LOWER THAN WE
FIRST THOUGHT BECAUSE OF THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE
IS TO BE ABLE TO TEST AND
ROLLOUT MORE TESTING PROTECT
THE MOST VULNERABLE.
IT IS CLEAR THAT WE ARE SEEING
FOLKS OVER 65 AND THOSE WITH
EXISTING CONDITIONS ARE THE
MOST VULNERABLE TO THE VIRUS
AND HAVING TESTING AND THE
ABILITY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE
INFECTION IS IN PROTECTING
THOSE FOLKS IS KEY TO ANY PLAN
AND IT HAS TO BE UPFRONT.
THE TASK FORCE PRESENTED
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REOPENING.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ANTICIPATED
THIS.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
HIGHLIGHT AND WHAT IS NEXT IN
THE PROCESS?
WE HAVE HAD THE ACTUAL
WORKGROUPS REPORTING PAT BACK
TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
THAT IS TO MEET NEXT WEEK TO
TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
EACH SILO.
THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE WE HAVE
FIGURED OUT SOMETHING THAT IS
EVERY BUSINESS WILL HAVE TO
DEAL WITH THIS DIFFERENTLY.
AIRLINES WILL NOT HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THIS LIKE RETAIL STORES.
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS, WE WILL
USE THE ABILITY TO KEEP THE
PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
CAN YOU OPEN A RESTAURANT AT
50% CAPACITY.
CAN YOU OPEN SOME SORT OF OTHER
RETAIL STORE WHERE THERE IS NOT
DIRECT CONTACT NECESSARY.
THAT COULD BE PART OF PHASE 1.
STATE PARKS AND NATIONAL PARKS
AND ANY OPEN SPACES WHERE
PEOPLE CAN HAVE PASSIVE
RECREATION.
ALSO IT BRINGS UP THE QUESTION
OF HOW DO YOU OPEN THESE
BUSINESSES THAT DO HAVE DIRECT
CONTACT?
LIKE A BARBERSHOP OR OTHER
COSMETOLOGY RETAIL WHERE THEY
HAVE DIRECT CONTACT.
THAT WILL BE TRICKY AND MORE
DIFFICULT.
THAT IS WHY I THINK IT TAKES
THE SPACE TO FIGURE OUT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN GO
FORWARD WITH A PHASED ROLLOUT
OF REOPENING INSTEAD OF TRYING
TO GET BACK TO EVERYTHING AT
ONCE.
YOUR PART OF THE REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP IN TALLAHASSEE.
YOU WERE HERE SPEAKING ON
BEHALF OF THE GOVERNOR.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE
FLORIDA SYSTEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
FLORIDIANS WITHOUT A JOB.
BE APPLIED TO FIRST IT WAS
DIFFICULT AND THEY HAD TO FILL
OUT PAPER APPLICATIONS.
NOW WE ARE SEEING THAT FLORIDA
IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE 50s
DATES IN THIS COUNTRY, AS FAR
AS HANDING OUT AND IF IT'S FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT.
WAREHOUSE LEADERSHIP THEN AS
FAR AS UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSATION FOR WORKERS IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA HE MET
CLEARLY IT WAS A BROKEN
SYSTEM THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE IN
2015.
SINCE THEN YOU HAVE SEEN THE
ECONOMY TAKEOFF AND RIGHT
BEFORE THE VIRUS HIT WE WERE AT
2.8 UNEMPLOYMENT.
THIS SYSTEM, ACROSS THE NATION,
ALL SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN
OVERWHELMED BY THE VOLUME.
THAT IS KNOW IT SKEWS.
THE SYSTEM WAS NOT PROPERLY
PREPARED FOR THIS OR ANYTHING
ELSE.
WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS DONE IS
MOVED ON TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
THAT IS FIRST INCREASE THE
CAPACITY.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT
WOULD NEED IT ANYWAY.
MANY OF THESE FOLKS DON'T HAVE
ACCESS TO A COMPUTER OR THE
INTERNET.
NOW HE HAS PUT SECRETARY -- IN
CHARGE BECAUSE HE WASN'T
SATISFIED WITH THE TRANSPARENT
OF THE REPORTING.
HE HAS BEEN PROVIDING REPORTS
DAILY AND SEEN PROGRESS.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HELP
SOMEONE SITTING AT HOME WAITING
FOR THIS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS TO
GET IT TO PUSH FORWARD AND GET
IT PROCESSED.
WE HAVE RECEIVED TRIPLICATE THE
NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AS THE
ACTUAL UNIQUE APPLICANTS.
ALMOST 1.7 MILLION
APPLICATIONS.
THE 700,000 APPLICANTS, THE
STATE IS IN PROCESS OF GETTING
THEM THERE CHECKS.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE, WITH THE
SYSTEM THAT IS BROKEN FROM THE
BEGINNING.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE
GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYONE GETS THE MONEY.
THE NEW POLL FINDS 50% OF
VOTERS APPROVE THE WAY THE
GOVERNOR IS HANDLING THE
CRISIS.
THEY STILL RELY ON PUBLIC
OFFICIALS FOR THE MOST ACCURATE
INFORMATION.
76% SAY IT SHOULD ONLY BE
REOPENED IF PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS DEEM IT SAFE.
HOW CONFIDENT SHOULD THE PEOPLE
BE.
THE GOVERNOR IS TAKING A
CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO REOPENING.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHEN WE
DECIDE TO REOPEN IN.
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE
TAKEN THROUGH WITH THE DATA AND
ADVICE OF HEALTH OFFICIALS TO
GO THROUGH PHASES.
I DON'T THINK YOU'LL SEE
ANYTHING PAST THE DATA.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT RESULT
FROM THE LOCKDOWN.
PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES OR ANXIETY.
YOU HAVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR
DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE START
TO OPEN FACETS FOR PEOPLE TO
HAVE AN OUTLET AND GET OUT
SAFELY WHILE PRACTICING THE
SOCIAL DISTANCE WHILE WEARING
MASKS AND BEING ABLE TO GET
EXERCISE AND SUNSHINE AND
STARTING TO GET BUSINESS IS
BACK OPEN IN A SAFE MANNER.
WE CANNOT RECOVER FROM A
CONTINUED SHUTDOWN THAT WILL
PUT A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES
OUT OF BUSINESS PERMANENTLY.
IT WOULD PUT THE ECONOMY IN