Stephanie Trujillo was working as a restaurant manager in Miami-Dade County when the coronavirus pandemic forced authorities to lock down most businesses.
The long lines outside of the New Birth Baptist Church on Friday near Opa-locka were a reflection of the economic downturn during the coronavirus pandemic. The shutdowns in the leisure and the hospitality industries have hurt many families’ finances in South Florida.
In the Miami-Dade County’s cities of Hialeah and Miami, the coronavirus pandemic didn’t just bring fear about dying of the contagious respiratory illness. It also brought economic insecurity when the measures imposed to save lives shut down the tourism, dining, and entertainment industries.
The efforts to curve hunger during the coronavirus pandemic continue. More than 1,000 drivers picked up free Farm Share groceries on Monday morning at Dolphin Mall in Miami-Dade County.
Judi Hamelburg, of North Miami Beach, is among the many jobless Floridians who are running out of cash during the coronavirus pandemic.
Drivers in need during the coronavirus pandemic started to arrive at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday to Hialeah Gardens High School. Within a few hours, an L-shaped line of cars curved from Hialeah Gardens Boulevard and stretched on Okeechobee Road.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday the system to help workers who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic can now manage 120,000 simultaneous connections.
Florida is among the eight states in the country that offer less than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits.
In addition to dealing with the fear of being infected by the new coronavirus, many South Floridians are standing alone with the financial burden that comes with the shut down that is meant to save lives.