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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.

Florida Gets $27 Million In Federal Coronavirus Funding

An electron microscope image of from the first U.S. case of COVID-19.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

An $8 billion federal package includes more than $27 million for Florida's response to the coronavirus.

Gov. Ron DeSantis' office says the state also received $500,000 in emergency funding on March 4, before the funding package passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump. 

The funding will help Florida with testing and preparation if the outbreak gets worse. Community health centers will get additional dollars to treat COVID-19 patients. It also loosens Medicare rules for telehealth providers, so sick people could get treatment without visiting a doctor.

Sen. Marco Rubio says small businesses affected by cornoavirus are now eligible for loans from the Small Business Administration. In a statement, Rubio added that Congress should look at ways of reducing U.S. economic dependence on China, where the coronavirus outbreak began.

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.