This is a recap of some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida. The Florida Department of Health Reported 9,085 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. It’s the second highest total since August 1st. The daily average over the past week is now over 7,200 cases, which is also the highest since the first week of August. The case count adjusted for population is second highest in Miami-Dade, Broward is slightly above state average with Palm Beach County about average.
In related news, Visit Florida reported a 32% decline in 3rd quarter tourism over 2019. There was significant sequential improvement over a greater than 60% drop in in tourism during the second quarter.
Moving on to the economy, for the fifth consecutive week Florida’s new weekly unemployment filings reached the lowest level since pandemic lockdowns began in March. Florida’s economy has continued to outperform economists' estimates as Florida’s economy ranks 24th nationally in 2020. Economist estimates projected Florida would have the 3rd worst economy this year due to the reliance on tourism and entertainment.
Lastly, the latest report by the Demographic Estimating Conference shows Florida is projected to continue to add an average of 831 people per day through the first quarter of 2025.
Photo by: Getty Images