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News

ARTICLE

Date ArticleType
1/28/2021 Press Release

Florida Chamber of Commerce: Weekly COVID-19 Update: Jan. 28, 2021

 

COVID-19 Weekly Update: January 28, 2021

 

 

DAYS SINCE 1st CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19 IN FLORIDA:

332

DAYS SINCE 1st VACCINE IN FLORIDA:

46

 

This Week's Message from Chamber President & CEO Mark Wilson:

 

 

 

Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis joined me for the Florida Chamber's Statewide Business Leaders Zoom Call to provide an update on Florida's Economy, COVID and vaccine distribution in Florida. Since our call, Governor DeSantis has held a press conference in Vero Beach where he announced the expansion of his plans to now include 261 Publix pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines to those ages 65 and older. Florida is the first state in the nation to reach 1M seniors receiving the vaccine, vaccinating roughly 22% of all seniors in Florida so far. We appreciate Governor DeSantis' leadership as our economy rebounds from the pandemic. Our 2021 Economic Outlook is today and it’s important to take stock in the fact that Florida businesses have crated over 700,000 jobs since last April and growing.  

 

 

 

Florida's leadership has remained committed to reopening safe and smart as endless lockdowns and unrealistic restrictions on businesses in states like New York, Illinois and California have proven detrimental to people's livelihoods and completely ineffective in stopping the spread of COVID-19. As a matter of fact, if you look at Florida compared to other states, Florida barely cracks the top 20 in daily new cases per 100k citizens (as of 1/27/21 source: covidactnow.org). I continue to attribute this to Florida's business leaders largely committing to following the guidelines of requiring their employees, customers and vendors to wear masks, physically distance when possible and avoid large crowds. Due to this adherence to the guidelines, Florida has also remained a national example in protecting our most vulnerable, and this commitment to protecting our most vulnerable citizens has not wavered with Florida leading the way in getting the vaccine to our seniors as a top priority. If you still haven’t downloaded the Florida Chamber Safety Council’s FREE guide on Returning to Work Safely During COVID-19, you can download here.

Florida's economy has come a long way, and today, the Florida Chamber Foundation is hosting the 2021 Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit. Florida Chamber Foundation Chief Economist Dr. Jerry Parrish is leading an incredible agenda of experts presenting the data that matters with a local, nationwide and global economic forecast, an overview of Florida's budget, a look at Florida's economic diversification potential, changing labor market, safety, health and sustainability, real estate, international trade, and more. If you missed your chance to register, I strongly encourage you to purchase the digital pass so you can share this insight on Florida's economy, you won't get anywhere else, with your management team. If you are registered, we look forward to engaging with you this afternoon.

 

 

Get the Digital Pass

 

A big part of successfully relaunching our economy is making sure that the personal injury trial lawyers cannot hold back the full relaunch of Florida’s economy with their inevitable, frivolous and unfair targeting of Florida's local businesses. Common sense COVID liability protections have remained a top priority of the Florida Chamber and this week that priority took another step forward when the Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 72 by Senator Jeff Brandes. For an update on where this and other priority business community legislation stands, and how you can get involved, see the Legislative Update section below.

 

Please find the latest cumulative COVID-19 numbers below:

 

 

 

Florida Chamber Foundation Chief Economist Dr. Jerry Parrish and our research team continue to analyze COVID-19 data and report on it daily at TheFloridaScorecard.org. As cases vary regionally, we also offer a breakdown of data by county so you can know how COVID-19 is trending in your area. Special thanks for all our #ChamberStrong local chamber partners who are posting these numbers on their websites, social media platforms and sharing with their local leadership.

 

Florida By the Numbers - January 2021

 

Florida By the Numbers

Florida sees 8 months in a row of job recovery, unemployment rate continues to drop, and consumer sentiment is increasing - all in the January "By the Numbers" report from our Chief Economist Dr. Jerry Parrish.

Click here to view the latest report.

 

 

 

 

Florida Chamber Foundation 2021 Workforce Survey

We Need Your Help to Understand Workforce and Training Needs

Pre-COVID-19, Florida employers told us a skilled workforce was the top priority for 2020...then COVID happened. While vaccines are in the early stages of distribution, a return to some sense of normalcy will take time, and we anticipate Florida's workforce needs will continue to be a top issue.

A high-quality workforce is Florida's best long-term economic development strategy and crucial to becoming the 10th largest economy by 2030. We need your help to understand your company's evolving workforce needs and the impact the pandemic is having on your recruiting and training goals. The results of the survey will be incorporated into the Florida Chamber Foundation's 2021 Florida Workforce Needs Study. 

 

Take the Survey

 

Legislative / Recovery Updates

 

Business COVID-19 Liability Protections Continue to Progress Through Legislative Process

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 72, filed by Senator Jeff Brandes. The bill creates liability protections for business entities and other groups that are not grossly negligent and are substantially complying with government-issued standards and guidelines in order to keep employees and customers safe. The intent of SB 72 is to protect businesses from frivolous litigation and allow them to keep their doors open, employees paid and customers safe, all of which are important in helping the economy recover. SB 72, backed by the Florida Chamber, passed 7-4 and likely has two committee hearings remaining before heading to the Senate Floor.

HB 7, which is identical to SB 72, will be heard in the House Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee on Wednesday, February 3rd, which marks its second of three committee hearings. HB 7 was filed by Representative Lawrence McClure, who joined our Board of Governors call on Monday to share an update on the bill’s progress and how you can help advocate for it.  

If you have not already asked your legislators to support COVID-19 liability protections, please do so by visiting our action center on COVID liability protections:

https://www.flchamber.com/covidliabilityprotections/

At this time, both bills exclude healthcare providers and facilities. The Florida Chamber will continue to advocate on behalf of the healthcare community to receive the same standards as businesses that are following safety guidelines.  

 

 

Mainstreet Fairness Faces First Test in Senate Committee 

On Monday, the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee approved SB 50, filed by Senator Joe Gruters, to require remote sellers to collect and remit sales tax in Florida. The companion bill in the House is sponsored by Representative Chuck Clemons. This is more important now than ever with so many consumers turning online for everyday purchases, and Florida is one of only two states in the nation that does not currently require remote sellers to collect sales tax on online transactions. The Florida Chamber supports the collection of sales tax from internet retailers that have a substantial nexus in Florida per the Wayfair U.S. Supreme Court decision. This would not be a new tax, but, if passed, shifts the burden of remitting the already due sales tax on the business instead of the consumer. Importantly, the bill would level the playing field between Florida’s out-of-state companies and local, main street businesses that already collect sales tax. These local businesses have been hit hard by the economic downturn associated with the pandemic and should not be further disadvantaged compared to out-of-state online retailers.

 

 

Additional Florida Chamber Backed Bills Filed in Advance of 2021 Legislative Session

This week, a flurry of new bills were filed in advance of the 2021 legislative session, which begins March 2. Senator Joe Gruters filed SB 704, which creates a new tax rebate program for the film, television, and digital media industries. The goal of this bill is to encourage film productions to return to the state of Florida instead of filming in other localities. Senator Jim Boyd filed SB 76, which has been fast tracked and will have a hearing next week. SB 76 tackles abusive litigation in the property insurance market which is driving up the cost of homeowners’ insurance across the state. SB 778, related to VISIT FLORIDA, was filed by Senator Ed Hooper, and will extend VISIT FLORIDA in statute beyond 2023. Two lawsuit abuse reform bills were also filed this week. Senator Jason Brodeur filed SB 88 which will protect farmers from frivolous litigation and further protects farmers by expanding the “Right to Farm.” SB 846, filed by Senator Brandes and related to damages, would allow into evidence the amount customarily accepted for a medical procedure in a personal injury or wrongful death case. Companion Accuracy in Damages or Inflated Damages legislation has yet to be filed in the House.

 

 

Florida Revenue Collections Continue to Improve in December

State economists released the December 2020 revenue collection report, showing that revenue collections continued to exceed expectations. Encouragingly, overall collections in December 2020 were 5.4 percent higher than the collections in December 2019. The state also collected $154.4 million more in December than compared to pre-pandemic projections. While 53 percent of the gain in December was due to sales tax, sales tax collections have yet to exceed pre-pandemic projections. This is due to a drop in receipts from the tourism and hospitality-related industries, which has been the hardest hit category in revenue during the pandemic.  

 

 

Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety

On January 21st, President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling for increased protection of the safety and health of workers from COVID-19. The order requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consider whether any emergency temporary standards on COVID-19, such as masks, are necessary. A new temporary federal emergency standard may encompass protective equipment, personal distancing requirements, circulation of employees in limited numbers and/or requiring work from home when feasible. Additionally, sanitation, housekeeping and updated employee training may be suggested. If you would like to have input on the OSHA standards, please direct your comments to OSHA Acting Assistant Secretary Jim Frederick.

For the complete executive order, visit Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. For more information, contact Matthew K. Choy at mchoy@flchamber.com

 

 

Hospital Community Benefit Reporting Passes Senate Community Affairs Unanimously

SB 58, filed by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee unanimously on Tuesday and has 2 committee hearings remaining. This Florida Chamber-backed bill repeals the community benefit reporting requirement to receive a property tax exemption for non-profit hospitals. This requirement is duplicative of federal reporting requirements that hospitals must complete and is unnecessary. Additionally, repealing this statute will put non-profit hospitals on equal footing with other non-profits that also receive property tax exemptions. 

 

 

Safety News and Resources

 

March 2nd is OSHA’s deadline to submit your

Injury and Illness Reports

Organizations that are required to submit their injury and illness reports to OSHA have until March 2, 2021, to do so. Such organizations are required to electronically submit their OSHA Form 300A for all recordable injuries and illnesses for the calendar year 2020.

OSHA offers three easy ways to submit your reports:

  • The first option is to enter the information onto the web-based form entirely manually; if this will be the first time submitting your report, you must create an establishment in order to enter your information. If you have submitted your report in previous years, all you have to do is view the establishment list. This option is very useful for smaller organizations.
  • The second option is to create your own CSV (comma separated values) form and submit directly to OSHA.
  • Lastly, users who use automated recordkeeping can continue to transmit data electronically via an API (application programming interface).

Remember that the organization or their representative must create an account with ITA (Injury Tracking Application) in order to transmit or submit their injury and illness reports. Also, not every business and organization is required to submit this report. If you have any questions regarding how to submit your report or if your organization is required to submit an injury and illness report, give us a call; we are here to help. LEARN MORE>

 

If your business is in need of safety training - including COVID-19 training - we're here to help. For more information on keeping your workers safe, visit flchambersafety.com or contact Diego Sanchez, Senior Safety Manager at dsanchez@flchamber.com

 

Click here to visit the Florida Chamber Safety Council website for COVID resources, safety trainings and more!

 

 

 

Florida Chamber Safety Council is Off to the Races!

 

The Florida Chamber Safety Council is thrilled to promote workplace and racetrack safety this weekend in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in partnership with Hardpoint racing.

The Florida Chamber Safety Council is a one-stop resource to help Florida employers successfully design and implement workplace safety, health, and sustainability initiatives. Learn more at flchambersafety.com

 

 

Upcoming Florida Chamber Safety Council Event:

 

A live webinar with Mental Health expert Dr. Aaron Weiner to discuss mental health in the workplace. Dr. Weiner will cover an array of topics like Recognizing Mental Health Problems in Yourself and Others at work and how to respond, Modern Tools for Cognitive Health, and the basics of mindfulness and meditation through evidence-based methods for better coping with stress, pain, and insomnia.

 

 

Click to Register

 

 

Free Enterprise in Action During COVID-19

 

 

CITY Furniture Tackles Pandemic’s Challenges with Focus on Core Values

In a pandemic year that challenged companies to survive, Florida Chamber member, Florida-based CITY Furniture, thrived by focusing on a strong commitment to living its values. Capping a record year for positive community impact, new jobs and sales, the company, one of America’s Top 100 furniture retailers, this week released its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report. Keeping the company accountable and transparent to its stakeholders, CITY Furniture’s 2020 CSR Report highlights how the company stepped up its efforts, responded to the pandemic and led with its values. READ MORE>

 

 

 

 

Florida Chamber of Commerce offers free crash course on how to run for political office

The Florida Institute for Political Leadership was born to recruit, train and guide Floridians in an effort to get better candidates. The Florida Chamber of Commerce joined forces with local chambers to hold these campaign schools, which are free to the public, and there are about 10 remaining opportunities this year.

 READ MORE>

 

 

Florida sees eighth straight month of job growth 

Florida has experienced eight straight months of job growth, according to the report released Friday from the Department of Economic Opportunity. The report shows positive signs in the Florida economy with jobs increasing and unemployment rates dropping. Chief Economist for the Florida Chamber of Commerce Dr. Jerry Parrish has high hopes for a faster than anticipated recovery of the state’s tourism industry.

READ MORE>

 

 

Thank you for your continued support as we work to unite Florida's businesses for good. If there is anything you need from your dedicated Chamber Staff, or have questions at any time, I invite you to email me directly at mwilson@flchamber.com.

My best,

Mark Wilson

President & CEO

 

 

 

 

Florida Chamber of Commerce www.FloridaChamber.com/Coronavirus

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