-From Miami Beach up to the self-described
happiest place on Earth
to beaches on the Florida coastlines
and the state capital of Tallahassee
on the panhandle of the Sunshine State,
COVID-19 is destroying health, job security,
and fatiguing the healthcare system.
-Whenever you do anything that increases human interactions,
that's a gateway for the virus to spread.
-Over 5,300 people have died in Florida from coronavirus
since the state's first cases were recorded March 1st.
And the number of positive cases
is quickly approaching the 400,000 mark.
Dr David Dodson is an infectious disease
specialist in West Palm, Florida.
-The pandemic response in this country
has been woefully inadequate.
What should have happened is, from the very beginning,
we should have had a national policy
where we all did the same thing.
We were guided by the science, the CDC,
and we should have all been listening to the same people
and doing the same things
because when you have loose restrictions in one state
and harsh restrictions in another, people get around.
-Wearing a mask in public places is required in some counties,
but not statewide.
In Tallahassee, Mayor John Dailey is making
new decisions on COVID almost every day.
-We are the global epicenter right now of positive cases,
and we're seeing a sharp incline.
Not only do we need to work in the immediate,
but I think we need to prepare ourselves
that this is not going away anytime soon.
You know, we will be dealing with COVID-19,
who knows, for another year, 18 months.
And so it's important that we prepare our mind
set of how we're gonna move forward as a community.
We will get to the end of this eventually.
-Now, there are two major universities here
in the state capital of Tallahassee,
and a community college --
Florida State University being the biggest one.
Students expected to return, hit the dorms, the fraternities,
and the sororities, and the apartments,
and the mayor of Tallahassee is concerned
about these large gatherings of students.
The same reason for Miami Beach being recently shut down,
but parties on boats continue.
And many think that's contributing
to the spike in cases.
But for some Florida residents,
they think most people across the state are doing a good job.
-We just came from South Carolina,
and we're driving back down, and there's a huge difference
between South Carolina and Florida,
I feel, as far as people taking it seriously,
social distancing and the masks.
-Like so many families here, the Ellzeys are playing it safe,
but when you are pregnant,
avoiding the virus is even more complicated.
What's this like for you right now?
-It's torture.
I mean, everything is just even more complicated,
and there's just so more neuroses,
and it's a very different pregnancy.
My husband can't go to any of the,
you know, any of the ultrasounds.
He hasn't even met my OB.
What worries me is, you know, school,
once school starts for the boys,
what are we gonna do if they have to go back to school?
How do I keep the baby safe?
-And as if the virus wasn't enough to deal with,
there is also the harsh reality of people out of work.
As seen on the streets of Orlando,
where many establishments are shuttered
and people already on hard times are sleeping on the streets
because many shelters are not available.
Is it tough to find a job right now?
-It is tough to find a job.
It is.
What I did was partial janitorial.
I'm doing janitorial early morning, around 5:00
to about 7:30 in the morning
at one or two of the clubs that needs them.
So I help out and I make a few dollars early morning.
-But you're not able to find a home at this point, right?
-Not at this time, no.
No, I don't have the funds
to find a house or apartment, no.
-The state unemployment rate dropped from a near-record 13.
7% in May to 10.
4% in June.
Unfortunately, that report may already be dated,
as surging coronavirus cases
are putting some people back out of work.
Nearby, Walt Disney World has reopened.
Guests who choose to visit are greeted
with a disclaimer on its website,
stating that you voluntarily assume all risks
related to exposure to COVID-19.
We requested an on-camera interview with Disney officials
to see how the reopening was going,
but were told that they could not make
a coverage opportunity happen.
For tourists, opinions vary on the safety of the reopening.
-I wouldn't say safe,
but I do like that they're taking precaution.
-In just weeks, the Republican National Convention
comes to Jacksonville,
amid security concerns and shifting preparation plans.
And then there is hurricane season coming up.
-So it's interesting,
we are putting together plans and backup plans
to the plans and backup plans to the backup plans to the plans.
We are dealing with a global pandemic in the middle
of what is supposed to be an above-average hurricane season.
We need to be prepared.
-And a tropical system has formed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Time will only tell Mother Nature's exact path.
But rest assured, Floridians will be watching carefully
and tending to the never-ending challenges to stay healthy
and away from the novel virus, COVID-19.