Weekly Legislative Update - March 1, 2021

Get ready… this Tuesday begins the 60 “Strange Session”. This will certainly be one for the books. Below are some news stories from the past week.

More COVID Vaccine About to Arrive: DeSantis

COVID vaccine doses are about to flow into Florida more freely, and that could have big implications for who gets the vaccine next, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday. During a news briefing in Hernando County, the governor said Pfizer had been sending about 100,000 doses a week to the state and will increase that to about 200,000, he said. "If it's not this week, hopefully by next week, and I think that's going to go up more and more," DeSantis said. Sun-Sentinel

DeSantis Could Lower Vaccine Age to 60 Soon

With nearly half of seniors over 65 having received coronavirus vaccines, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday indicated he may start lowering the age limit for those who can be inoculated, likely to 60, or possibly as young as 55. Palm Beach Post

“Florida is better off without a detailed vaccination plan, DeSantis says,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Megan Reeves: “Gov. Ron DeSantis and Hernando County’s top Republican lawmaker defended Florida’s coronavirus vaccine rollout on Wednesday, saying the state is a national leader in the effort and touting the lack of a detailed plan as a plus. ‘We are approaching this pandemic in ways that other states are not,’ state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia said at a news conference in Brooksville where DeSantis announced a new vaccination site for seniors 65 and older. ‘What other states are getting wrong, I believe that this governor is getting right.’ Two things make Florida stand out when it comes to the vaccine rollout: It’s one of only two states to prioritize residents 65 and older in its first phase of distribution, and it’s the only state that hasn’t told residents specifically who will get vaccines after that group.”

“DeSantis expects to lower COVID vaccine age to 60,” by Palm Beach Post’s Jane Musgrave: “With Florida poised to hit the 50% mark for the number of seniors who have received coronavirus vaccines, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday indicated he may start lowering the age limit for those who can be inoculated against the deadly virus. While he isn’t backing away from his “Seniors First” strategy, he said he is likely to lower the age incrementally, allowing those who are over the age of 60, or possibly as young as 55, to begin lining up for vaccines.”

“DeSantis says he’ll take Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine when it’s his turn” via Richard Tribou of The Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis said that he would be taking the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine when it’s his turn. Speaking in Fort Pierce at another of the state’s pop-up vaccine sites for senior communities, DeSantis touted the benefits of the vaccine expected to be approved for emergency use by the federal government this week. He noted that while its effectiveness against being infected wasn’t as high as either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, that it has proved 100% effective against both death and hospitalization from the virus. DeSantis pointed out that unlike the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the Johnson & Johnson version is one dose and does not require freezing, so it can be rolled out more easily and takes less of a commitment from those who get it.

“DeSantis: Floridians under 65 should be able to get COVID-19 shots next month” via Steven Lemongello, Tiffini Theisen, and Richard Tribou of The Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis on Thursday said he expects Floridians under age 65 will be able to get the coronavirus vaccine next month and that the shots will start to become widely available sometime in April. However, he did not offer a specific lower age or say what percentage of seniors would have to be vaccinated before younger people could be inoculated. DeSantis also revealed several new permanent sites to distribute coronavirus vaccines, including a community center in Kissimmee, each of which he said will offer at least 200 shots per day.

“Publix will offer COVID-19 vaccines at all of its Florida stores with pharmacies” via Austin Fuller of the Orlando Sentinel — Publix plans to administer the coronavirus vaccine at all 730 of its in-store Florida pharmacies. The Lakeland-based company announced the expansion Thursday, including 136 stores in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. “We’re pleased to bring appointment opportunities to each of our in-store Florida pharmacies,” Publix CEO Todd Jones said in a news release. “We know how important this vaccine is to the people we serve, and we are grateful we can expand our ability to help our communities during this time of need.” Appointment scheduling starts at 7 a.m. Friday for people 65 and older through publix.com/covidvaccine. Appointments cannot be made by phone.

“Coronavirus reinfection will soon become our reality” via Katherine J. Wu of The Atlantic — On its face, reinfection appears to be a straightforward term. But thanks to the pandemic, reinfection has become a semantic and scientific mess. it has become wildly misunderstood. Infection is a two-player game, and a change in either contender can affect the dynamics of a second confrontation. On occasion, the body’s immune strongholds might weaken and crack. Or a microbe might alter its surface until it’s unrecognizable to the host that once fought it off. These latter cases might be described less strictly as reinfection than as, well, another infection. As the coronavirus continues to mutate, cases such as these might soon become our startling reality.

“We could be traveling again by summer. This is what to consider before you plan.” via Natalie B. Compton of The Washington Post — At least 44.5 million people in America have received one dose of the vaccine, and new coronavirus cases and deaths have begun to fall, giving the country reasons to feel optimistic. As a result, the travel industry appears to be gearing up for a big summer season. You may want to get a head start on future trips as more people clamor to book revenge travel and ticket prices creep back to normal. So set your airfare price alerts, start browsing travel insurance policies and consider consulting a travel adviser because while summer travel may be possible, it won’t be back to the old normal yet.

“U.S. hospitals risk $122 billion 2021 revenue loss on pandemic” via Lauren Coleman-Lochner of Bloomberg — U.S. hospitals face up to $122 billion in lost revenue this year as the pandemic continues its rampage. Even a best-case scenario would cost hospitals $53 billion, according to a new report. How quickly hospitals recover depends on the vaccine rollout, the spread of more infectious strains, and how potential patients behave, both in terms of how cautious they remain and how willing they are to return for not only profitable elective procedures but even for emergencies. The report said that declining revenues slammed hospitals as safety and treatment costs have soared, with a 14% rise in labor and 17% for drugs last year.

“Pfizer begins study on 3rd vaccine dose as booster shot against new variants” via Oriana Gonzalez of Axios — Pfizer and BioNTech announced they launched a study to evaluate whether a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine can protect against new variants of the virus. Vaccine makers are racing to find effective ways to fight more infectious virus variants. There is no evidence that the current vaccines are not effective against the new variants, but companies are looking for ways to adapt to new mutations in case it becomes necessary. Unlike Pfizer, Moderna made a modified vaccine targeting the South Africa strain and shipped doses to U.S. government researchers to begin testing.

“Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has disappeared in the US” via Mike Stobbe of The Associated Press — February is usually the peak of flu season, with doctors’ offices and hospitals packed with suffering patients. But not this year. Flu has virtually disappeared from the U.S., with reports coming in at far lower levels than anything seen in decades. Experts say that measures to fend off the coronavirus, mask-wearing, social distancing, and virtual schooling were a big factor in preventing a “twindemic” of flu and COVID-19. A push to get more people vaccinated against flu probably helped, too, as did fewer people traveling, they say. Another possible explanation: The coronavirus has essentially muscled aside flu and other bugs that are more common in the fall and winter.