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News about coronavirus in Florida and around the world is constantly emerging. It's hard to stay on top of it all but Health News Florida can help. Our responsibility is to keep you informed, and to help discern what’s important for your family as you make what could be life-saving decisions.

Deadline Looms For New Round Of Federal Coronavirus Aid

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Congress is facing a deadline to extend unemployment benefits for people out of work due to the pandemic. Those payments have made a big impact in Florida.  

Florida’s started 2020 with unemployment at near-record lows. Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting at the University of Central Florida, says it will take at least three years for the state’s economy to recover. He says additional unemployment benefits and the Paycheck Protection Program stopped a bad situation from becoming much worse.  

“Hopefully whatever the final version of the second round looks like it's, it will be more streamlined and targeted to the people and the businesses that are most impacted by COVID-19,” he said.  

Floridians who lost their jobs due to the pandemic were able to collect an additional $600 per week from the federal government. But the state’s unemployment application system broke down due to the surge in new filings.  

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7

Bradley George comes to WUSF from Atlanta, where he was a reporter, host, and editor at Georgia Public Broadcasting. While in Atlanta, he reported for NPR, Marketplace, Here & Now, and The Takeaway. His work has been recognized by , the Georgia Associated Press, and the Atlanta Press Club. Prior to his time in Georgia, Bradley worked at public radio stations in Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina.