In the last 48 hours, Florida has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases in both Broward and Miami-Dade County. With the president urging people to not attend congregations of more than 10 people, Florida leadership is busy trying to respond to the economic and social implications that COVID-19 will have on Floridians.
In the most recent development, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced that he would be activating the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program which supports small businesses that are impacted negatively by the pandemic.
The program, which is managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, provides short-term and interest free loans to small businesses that experience any economic hit from the coronavirus.
The last day to apply is March 17th, 2020, and it will run until May 8th, 2020.
In a statement, Governor DeSantis explained, “as we mitigate against the spread of COVID-19, the health, safety and well-being of Floridians comes first.”
He expressed that he understands “the harm mitigation strategies will have on small businesses throughout our state.” So, “by activating the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan, we are providing the opportunity for Florida’s small businesses to receive cash immediately to ensure they can lessen the impacts felt as a result of COVID-19.”
