Here are some of the top stories from the past week you may have missed from NBC 6 News:
Insurance Companies Offering Relief During Pandemic
Several of the major insurance companies are stepping up to offer some much needed relief to their customers during these tough financial times.
Allstate’s CEO Tom Wilson posted a messaging saying, “because customers are driving less and having fewer accidents, we created the shelter in place payback to give our auto insurance customers more than $600 million back to help with these challenging times.”
Virus Model Shows Social Distancing Helps Flatten Curve
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States may reach about 81,000, a 13-percent decrease from last week's estimate from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
The main reason, the researchers say, is evidence social distancing is having a big impact.
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At the state level, the institute now estimates demand in Florida for hospital resources will peak on April 21, 12 days sooner than it was predicting last week.
Coronavirus Concerns Lead to Custody Battle for South Florida Doctor
Dr. Theresa Greene is at the tip of the spear in the fight against COVID-19. She’s an emergency room physician, and a divorced parent who just lost shared custody of her daughter.
"I feel like the family court system now is stressing me almost more than the virus, I mean this is a very stressful time for healthcare professionals," Greene said.
Greene tested negative for coronavirus this week. Her four-year-old daughter splits her time equally between her mom and dad, but this week, the child’s father, Eric Greene, asked for and received an emergency order demanding sole custody until the pandemic is over.
Florida Expands Coronavirus Testing to Better Measure Spread
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that his state would expand testing for the coronavirus to better gauge how widespread infections have become, as the disease continued to spread.
During a press conference in Jacksonville, the governor said the state will begin allowing anyone with coronavirus symptoms to get tested at three government-run sites in Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. The governor also opened testing to anyone who may be asymptomatic but have had close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Eerie Drone Footage Shows an Empty South Florida During Coronavirus Pandemic
New drone footage paints an eerie picture of South Florida during the coronavirus pandemic. Familiar images of traffic, tourists and beachgoers have all seemingly been erased.
The coming weeks will be the toughest for the state, as cases are expected to peak and push hospitals to their limits.
