Covid-19

The Florida Department of Education issued an emergency order Friday waiving accountability measures tied to state exams. Concerns about consequences of testing loomed with exams already underway for some students.

The pre-pandemic nursing shortage was exacerbated by COVID-19. Even as more people are vaccinated, the need for nurses in Tallahassee remains. A shortage of instructors is one barrier to getting more nursing jobs filled.

A Senate committee Tuesday will take up a bill that would shield Florida colleges and universities from lawsuits over decisions to close campuses because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of April 5th, everyone age 18 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine in Florida.

With the addition of 5,105 reported cases Saturday, the total hit 2,004,362 confirmed cases since the pandemic started, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will start offering COVID-19 vaccines to all people age 50 and older starting Monday.

Florida could set up a stockpile of life-saving personal protective equipment and sell it to health-care practitioners at cost, under proposals now moving in the Legislature.

Grass-roots advocacy has gone virtual in Tallahassee because of the pandemic. An effort is underway by one of Florida's largest counties to connect with the Florida Capitol under these challenging conditions.

The Florida Capitol is expected to remain largely closed to the public for the rest of the legislative session because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as lawmakers get more comfortable meeting face to face.

Medical professionals are dealing with the scariness of working around patients with a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease. It’s a scary time for anyone in the medical field, especially nurses who have frequent contact with critically ill COVID patients. But that’s not stopping future nurses from pursuing their dreams.