TAMPA, Fla — With another day of 13,000 positive COVID-19 cases announced in Florida, the Governor believes cases are stable
“There has been a stabilization. On the percent positive it’s a little bit lower this week than it was last week,” DeSantis said.
The governor making that comment after meeting with a group of state and Tampa Bay area leaders for a round table discussion at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay regarding mental health and COVID-19.
He was joined by first lady, Casey Desantis who mentioned that Florida will get through the pandemic and if along the way somebody does struggle there are resources.
Those resources include the phone number 2-1-1.
“We’ve taken thousands of calls from people worried about the effects of the pandemic,” said Clara Reynolds, Director of Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
From adults to children, everyone is feeling some sort of effect from the pandemic.
“ The child abuse hotline has seen a significant drop in calls,” DCF Secretary Chad Poppell said. “This is not a good thing.“
They are concerned about the low numbers as teachers are some of the biggest spotters when it comes to child abuse.
Senator Wilton Simpson and Tampa Bay Buccaneer D’Cota Dixon both mentioned the impact of children not being in school to play sports during the pandemic.
“Sports is sometimes a bridge for children who don’t have support at home,” said Dixon.
Both agreed that being out of school and out of sports can play a big role in mental health challenges for students.
“Sports and discipline for children is very important and needed when schools open back up safely,” Sen. Wilton Simpson said.
At the end of the roundtable, the governor took questions about the latest coronavirus data.
“Obviously we had all of May and beginning of June we were under 5 percent (percent positivity) and that’s where we want to be. I think we’ll get there but it’s going to take more work.”
The Governor took one question each from the four reporters in the room. When 10 Investigates tried to get a question about schools and funding answered, the Governor walked out without answering.
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