Hang in there Florida Chamber members. Since yesterday, Florida added 240 new cases (now 1,467,) no new counties reported positive cases (still at 46,) and two deaths (now at 20). An additional 1,081 tests were administered yesterday as well. Our research team did some quick comparisons, and New York City has an approximate positive coronavirus rate of one in every 539 residents, while Miami-Dade County has a positive rate of one in 7,500 residents, the state of Florida has a positive rate of one in 14,500, and Leon County (Tallahassee area) has a positive rate of one in every 36,500 residents. (See the map here .)
 
Overnight, the White House and Congress agreed on a bipartisan $2 trillion virus relief bill (we owe China $1.1 trillion for comparison) with leaders of both political parties saying that this will rush sweeping relief to businesses, workers and the health care system which has been inundated with this pandemic. This is the largest economic relief measure in history, and is intended to help keep workers employed and businesses from going under. We thank Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for his leadership in marshaling efforts to ensure America’s small businesses can stay afloat while they also keep paying their workers. We’re working closely with other state chambers and the U.S. Chamber and we’ll share more details on the package soon. 
 
Is our country in a recession?
 
“I would say, yes, we’re in a recession. ... We’ve chosen to put our economy in a recession to cut down the transmission of this virus,” Florida Chamber Foundation Chief Economist Dr. Jerry Parrish said. Read more in this Tampa Bay Times report – The coronavirus recession is here. Will it linger in Florida?
 
Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order directing all individuals who enter Florida from an area with substantial community spread, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they enter our state. President Trump echoed this important directive as well. And in a separate order, Governor DeSantis directed Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees to issue a public health advisory to all Floridians over 65 years old urging them to stay home and limit their risk of exposure. The Florida Chamber is hosting a statewide call with Governor DeSantis and our Surgeon General on Monday at 2:00 p.m. so please be on the lookout for details for you and your managers. 
 
Remember, our frontline healthcare workers still need N95 masks. I continue to be amazed at Florida Chamber members that have heeded the call to action to donate masks, and more, and encourage you to see all the great things your fellow Florida Chamber members are doing  as we all fight the impact of this pandemic together. To donate masks, contact Tanya Bechtold at [email protected] or call her at 850-521-1218. 
 
Please see all the resources, news and information – like how the application process for Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program has changed – in this daily newsletter. Share this with others and ask them to sign-up to receive a copy.
 
My team and I are in constant contact with business and government leaders and what I’m seeing is nothing short of amazing. If there’s information I’m not providing in this daily email, simply let me know and we’ll make every effort to get you what you need in our collective time of need. 
 
My Best,

Mark Wilson
President and CEO