One of the country’s most affected states, Florida, surpassed 500,000 coronavirus infections Wednesday amid a decrease in federal aid that has caused local governments to oppose others.
Despite a recent drop in new infections, Florida reported 5,409 more cases of coronavirus wednesday, bringing the Sunshine State total to more than 500,000, while setting a new record for hospitalizations.
Florida now has more than Spain, Mexico, France and Italy.
The state’s fight to involve the pandemic adds to the risk of relief in federal assistance under the Coronavirus Relief Fund, a $150 billion federal program that is helping to acquire protective equipment, pay for first aid, and other coronavirus costs.
Florida earned about $8 billion in March, but much of that money was handed over to state and county authorities, leaving cities with large gaps in their budgets and no monetary aid, according to the Washington Post.
Now that aid is declining four months later and Washington D.C. is suffering to break its political stalemate, liquidity-impaired governments rush into the wreckage; some cities, adding Miami, are threatening to sue their own counties for federal support.
Sustained blows to shopping, tourism and employment have led even Florida’s strongest cities to cut budgets and fall into chaos.
Last week, mayors of 163 Florida towns sent a letter to Congress calling for more help, describing the cash already legal under the Cares Act as inadequate given the state’s harshness through Covid-19.
“It’s transparent that we want help,” said Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami, who sees its legal characteristics as a $20 million surplus in the city’s finances that has become a $25 million deficit.
Although President Trump and leading Republicans have said democratic states have “suffered a great deal” in terms of coronavirus spending, several Republican states, such as Florida, are now struggling. In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis cut the state’s new spending budget by $1 billion, while Moody’s Analytics estimates Florida could face a $16 billion deficit over the next 3 fiscal years.
“It’s transparent, we want help”: the rapid decline in federal aid pits Florida governments opposed to others”(The Washington Post)
“Florida Senior Care Services Are Declining As Virus Deaths Rise” (Wall Street Journal)
“Florida reported more than two hundred coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, the highest of all states since May” (Forbes)
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I am a journalist born in Britain covering the latest news for Forbes, with past experience on CBS, CNN and Inc. I attended NYU where I studied politics, economics and
I am a journalist born in Britain covering the latest news for Forbes, with past experience on CBS, CNN and Inc. I attended NYU where I studied politics, economy and languages (I speak French and Spanish) and directed the student newspaper.