The Florida Department of Health reported 327 new cases of Covid-19 in Pinellas County Tuesday. That's the largest number of new cases reported in a single day since July 24, when there were 355 new cases. Pinellas County has had a total of 31,464 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the outbreak began in March, as well as 881 deaths attributed to the virus. An additional nine deaths were reported overnight. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reported 172 people were hospitalized Tuesday afternoon in Pinellas County with a primary diagnosis of Covid. There's available capacity in about 31 percent of the hospital beds and about 21 percent of the adult intensive care unit beds in Pinellas hospitals, AHCA said. The positivity rate, or percent of people who take a Covid-19 test and test positive, was 5.89 percent on Monday, and has been averaging just under 6 percent for the past two weeks.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Ken Jones, founder and CEO of Third Lake Capital, to the Board of Governors of the State University System. Third Lake, the investment fund controlled by the owners of Ashley Furniture HomeStores, owns 200 Central in downtown St. Petersburg and other properties Jones also the founder and chairman of Fairbourne Properties, a commercial real estate investment and management firm. Jones, who is an attorney, is an active member of the Florida Council of 100 and was recently named to the executive committee for the 2021 NFL Super Bowl Host Committee. He previously was president and CEO of the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the Republican National Convention. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for Apyx Medical Corp. to begin Phase II of its U.S. IDE clinical study evaluating the use of its Renuvion technology in skin laxity procedures in the neck and submental region. The Phase II study includes changes to the treatment protocol based on feedback from study investigators during Phase I of the study, an updated statistical analysis plan and an increase in the number of investigational sites, Charlie Goodwin, president and CEO of Apyx, said in a news release. Apyx expects to begin enrollment of 65 study subjects in early December, the news release said. Apyx (Nasdaq: APYX) is a medical device manufacturer that developed helium plasma technology, marketed and sold as Renuvion in the cosmetic surgery market and J-Plasma in the hospital surgical market.
There's about $479 million in unclaimed property in the Tampa Bay area, according to Jimmy Patronis, Florida Chief Financial Officer. That total includes $123.8 million in Pinellas County and $151.9 million in Hillsborough County, Patronis said in a news release. Unclaimed property is a financial asset that is unknown or lost, or has been left inactive, unclaimed or abandoned by its owner. The most common types of unclaimed property are dormant bank accounts, unclaimed insurance proceeds, stocks, dividends, uncashed checks, deposits, credit balances and refunds. Patronis has launched a Holiday Money Hunt and is encouraging individuals and businesses to search to see if they have unclaimed property. To search for unclaimed property or to claim an account, go online to FLTreasureHunt.gov
Covid-19 has claimed five more lives in Pinellas County, according to a new report from the Florida Department of Health. The most recent five deaths bring the county’s cumulative total to 872 deaths since the outbreak began in March, the state health department said. Pinellas County has a cumulative total of 31,137 cases of Covid-19, including 259 new cases reported Monday. About 3 in every 100 people in Pinellas County have been infected, state statistics indicate. As of Monday afternoon, 183 people were hospitalized in Pinellas County with a primary diagnosis of Covid-19. About 31 percent of the hospital beds in Pinellas County and 23 percent of the intensive care beds remain available as of Monday afternoon, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The county’s positivity rate – or the percent of people who take a Covid test and test positive – has averaged 5.9 percent over the past two weeks.
Southwest Airlines plans to furlough 31 aircraft maintenance technicians and one ground service equipment technician at Tampa International Airport, effective Jan. 25. The airline also expects to furlough technicians in Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated domestic air travel and tourism, Southwest said in a Nov. 18 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification to the state. The airline said it had a 70 percent drop in revenue in the third quarter of 2020. Southwest was able to maintain operations without employee pay cuts, layoffs or furlough through Sept. 30 because of the Payroll Support Program for the airline industry that was included in the federal CARES Act. But PSP has expired so Southwest is reducing costs associated with employee salaries, wages and benefits. Southwest said it expected the furloughs to be temporary, but to last more than six months.
Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (Nasdaq: SBCF) has been named to Fortune Magazine’s 100 fastest-growing companies for the third consecutive year. The bank, based in Stuart, Florida has become a growing presence in the Tampa-St. Petersburg financial services industry, after the acquisition earlier this year of Freedom Bank. Seacoast Bank, with $8.3 billion in assets, is one of only four companies in Florida, and the only financial institution headquartered in the state, to earn a spot on the list. The other Florida companies are TopBuild, an engineering and construction firm in Daytona Beach; Lennar, a homebuilder in Miami; and NV5 Global, an engineering and construction firm in Hollywood.
The Institute for Commercialization of Florida Technology had a $743 million impact on the state's economy in fiscal year 2019-2020, according to a new study from The Washington Economics Group. The Coral Gables consulting firm also found companies that are part of the Institute support 3,994 jobs in FY 2019-2020, with average earnings per job exceeding the statewide average. The companies raised more than $50 million in capital. Their impact on GDP was $397 million, and they add $77 million to federal, state and local fiscal revenue, according to a news release. In the past 10 years, companies in the Institute have had $2.6 billion in economic impact. The Institute supports new companies in Florida that create clean jobs in knowledge-based industries driving the global economy. Florida Funders in Tampa took over management of the portfolio in 2019. Local portfolio companies include KeriCure, KynderMed, Peerfit, TAO Connect, TransGenex Nanobiotech and TSOLife.
Cash will not be accepted for parking, concessions and retail purchases at Super Bowl LV in Tampa in February. Visa (NYSE: V) and the National Football League said in a news release that payments for the big game and future Super Bowls would be digital only. For fans who require assistance, ATMs that exchange cash and dispense Visa-branded pre-paid cards up to $500 will be available, with no load fees. Visa pre-paid cards dispensed in-stadium will also work outside the venue, the news release said. More than 20 stadiums nationwide are moving to a cash-free model or plan to do so in the near term, the release said. Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg became the first cashless sports venue in North America in 2019.
Florida's job market continues to regain ground lost when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March, according to a new report from Wells Fargo Securities. Florida lost nearly 1.2 million jobs in March and April and has since regained 699,700 jobs, the report said. Most major industries saw payrolls advance during October. The leisure & hospitality industry added more than any other sector, with overall headcounts expanding 29,600. Arts, entertainment & recreation employment rose 8,500, while payrolls at bars, restaurants and hotels added 21,100. During October, the statewide unemployment rate fell to 6.5 percent from 7.2 percent in September.
Florida Funders has invested an undisclosed amount in Artie, a Los Angeles-based next-gen gaming start-up. Artie has technology that lets game developers bypass app stores and their fees, Florida Funders said in a news release. It lets consumers play mobile games that they discover inside social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter without leaving the app. The gaming industry is exploding and Artie is shaking up the status quo, Tom Wallace, managing partner of Florida Funders, said in the release. Florida Funders, based in Tampa, is a hybrid of a venture capital fund and an angel investor network. The organization has fully deployed its first fund and recently launched Florida Funders Fund 2 LLC.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) said he has tested positive for Covid-19. Scott came into contact with someone after returning to Florida on Friday, Nov. 13, who subsequently tested positive, according to his office. Scott has been quarantining at his home in Naples since then. He took multiple negative rapid tests earlier in the week, but a PCR test he took Tuesday came back positive Friday morning, Nov. 20. Scott issued a statement, saying he is feeling good and experiencing very mild symptoms. He said he would work from home in Naples until it is safe to return to Washington, D.C. He also encouraged Floridians to listen to public health officials and follow their guidance.
