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Florida Congressional Leaders Call For More Dollars In Tackling Zika

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Beth Herlin
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Credit Beth Herlin / Wikimedia Commons
/
The Florida Channel

Florida congressional delegates are calling on the federal government to recalculate the Sunshine State’s share of newZikaresponse money.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that out of $16 million in emergency funds, Florida is receiving just fewer than 5 percent.

But a letter to the CDC signed by several Florida congressional delegates, including Ponte Vedra’s Rep. Ron DeSantis, said the state should get a much larger share because international travel and its tropical climate make it the “front line” for battling the virus.

At last count, more than 350 state residents have contracted the mosquito-borne illness.

15 of the cases are believed to have been transmitted in a small area of Miami. 

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Ryan Benk is originally from Miami, Florida and came to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University. He worked on Miami Dade College’s Arts and Literature Magazine- Miamibiance Magazine and has published poetry and a short film called “ The Writer.” He’s currently working as the Newsroom’s Researcher while finishing his Creative Writing Bachelor’s Degree at Florida State University. When he’s not tracking down news, Ryan likes watching films, writing fiction and poetry, and exploring Florida.