WAITING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT IS FINALLY GETTING SOME HELP. WHY HIS GOOD NEWS MAY BE GOOD
NEWS FOR OTHERS IN ORANGE
COUNTY.
HELLO, EVERYONE.
I’M GINGER GADSDEN.
>> Matt: YEAH, HEY GLAD YOU’RE
WITH US TONIGHT.
I’M MATT AUSTIN.
HOPEFULLY YOU’RE HAVING A GOOD
EVENING.
THE 10,000 NEW COVID CASES IN 24
HOURS, THAT’S THE LATEST NUMBER,
THAT IS A NEW RECORD FOR THE
STATE OF FLORIDA.
MORE THAN 14.5% OF NEW TESTS
YESTERDAY WERE POSITIVE FOR
COVID-19.
FLORIDA HAS CONFIRMED MORE THAN
169,000 CASES ACROSS THE STATE
NOW SINCE CONFIRMING THE FIRST
INFECTION ON MARCH 1ST.
THAT IS ENOUGH TO FILL THE AMWAY
CENTER MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES.
THAT CAN FILL UPWARDS OF 20,000
PEOPLE.
IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A WEEK SINCE
FLORIDA’S DAILY CASE COUNT CAME
IN UNDER 5,000.
>> Ginger: THAT HAPPENED JUNE
22ND WHEN CASES TOTALED JUST
OVER 3200.
HERE’S A LOOK AT THE LAST FIVE
DAYS OF INFECTIONS REPORTED HERE
IN FLORIDA.
IT’S MORE THAN 36,000 CASES IN
JUST OVER A FIFTH OF THE STATE’S
TOTAL CASES.
FLORIDA ALSO FINISHED WITH MORE
THAN -- MORE NEW CASES THAN
ARIZONA AND TEXAS.
BOTH STATES HAVE RECENTLY
REPORTED SPIKES IN COVID-19
CASES.
ARIZONA REPORTED MORE THAN 3300
NEW CASES WHILE TEXAS CONFIRMED
ITS LATEST NUMBERS IN JUST THE
LAST HOUR, IT HAS MORE THAN 7900
NEW CASES.
>>> AND JUST THIS AFTERNOON,
TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT
ISSUED A STATEWIDE MASK ORDER
FOR ALL COUNTIES WITH 20 OR MORE
COVID-19 CASES.
SO HOW DO YOU TEXAS AND FLORIDA
COMPARE WHEN IT COMES TO COVID?
WE’RE BREAKING IT DOWN RIGHT NOW
ON CLICKORLANDO.COM.
>>> THOUSANDS OF FLORIDIANS ARE
STILL FEELING THE PINCH FROM THE
PANDEMIC.
AS MANY ARE STILL ON FURLOUGH OR
EVEN OUT OF WORK.
>> Matt: IN ORANGE COUNTY, THE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE JUMPED TO 23%
LAST MONTH AND DEMAND FOR CARES
ACT ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN
OVERWHELMING, BUT THE MONEY IS
STARTING TO HIT PEOPLE’S BANK
ACCOUNTS.
AS NEWS 6’S NADEEN YANES FOUND
OUT FOR US, IT HAPPENED JUST IN
TIME FOR ONE GUY.
HE’S APPLIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HE’S
ACTUALLY GOTTEN ANY MONEY,
RIGHT?
>> Reporter: HE’S AN INDEPENDENT
CONTRACTOR WHO BOOKS VACATIONS
AT THE THEME PARKS.
SO OBVIOUSLY HE’S TAKEN A PRETTY
BIG FINANCIAL HIT HERE.
YOU’RE RIGHT, HIS UNEMPLOYMENT
IS IN THE MIDDLE OF APPEALS.
HE HAS NOT SEEN A SINGLE CENT
SINCE ALL THIS BEGAN AND IS
GRATEFUL ORANGE COUNTY IS
DEPOSITING CHECKS FOR THE RENTAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM JUST IN TIME
FOR JULY RENT.
>> I KEPT GETTING THE SERVICE
UNAVAILABLE.
AFTER THAT, IT WAS PROBABLY ONE
OF THE EASIEST PROCESSES WE’VE
HAD DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME.
>> Reporter: WE SPOKE TO HIM TWO
WEEKS AGO ABLE TO APPLY FOR
ORANGE COUNTY’S INDIVIDUAL
FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDED
THROUGH THE CARES ACT WHICH HAD
PROBLEMS IN THE BEGINNING.
HE SAID THAT MONEY HIT HIS
ACCOUNT ON TUESDAY.
>> WE COULDN’T BE MORE THANKFUL
FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE.
>> Reporter: JUST IN TIME FOR
JULY’S RENT.
>> WE HAD THE THOUSAND DOLLARS
WE COULD AUTOMATICALLY APPLY TO
OUR RENT.
IT WAS SO CONVENIENT, SO EASY
AND SO HELPFUL.
>> Reporter: IT’S THE FIRST TIME
HE’S GOTTEN ANY HELP FROM THE
GOVERNMENT SINCE LOSING HIS
INCOME AS AN INDEPENDENT
VACATION PLANNER FOR THE THEME
PARKS.
>> UNEMPLOYMENT IS STILL
UNEXISTENT.
NOT A CENT SINCE I STARTED IT IN
MARCH.
>> Reporter: HE’S ONE OF 3500
PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE GETTING
THEIR CHECKS THIS WEEK.
THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED 29,000
APPLICATIONS OF THE 30,000
NEEDED, REVIEWING 1200
APPLICATIONS A DAY.
AS OF YESTERDAY, 11,000 WERE
APPROVED AND 2,000 WERE DENIED.
THE COUNTY PLANS TO OPEN THE
PORTAL ONE MORE TIME.
>> WE DON’T WANT TO BE IN ANY
WAY SHORT OF THAT 30,000.
>> Reporter: THE GOVERNOR SAYS
HE ALLOCATED $240 MILLION IN
RENTAL ASSISTANCE ACROSS THE
STATE, SPLITTING IT WITH LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS.
WE ASKED IF IT ORANGE COUNTY
WILL BE INCLUDED.
>> I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY’RE
WORKING THROUGH DECIDING THAT
FORMULA.
WE HAVE A LOT OF COUNTIES IN
FLORIDA IN NEED.
>> Reporter: SO THE COUNTY IS
ABOUT 29,000 APPLICATIONS.
THE GOAL IS TO HIT 30,000.
THAT MEANS THEY’LL BE OPENING UP
THAT PORTAL ONE LAST TIME.PTHIS
OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT $1,000