APOPKA, Fla. — The coronavirus pandemic has taken, not only a physical toll, but a financial toll on Floridians.
But now, the state is taking new steps to help people recover.
"This has been a profound disruption to people's lives," Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a news conference at the Wellington Park Apartments in Apopka on Friday.
The governor said Florida is putting $250 million it received from the federal CARES Act toward rental, mortgage, and other housing assistance for Floridians who suffered financial hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Hundreds of thousands of Floridians who may have already had difficulty making ends meet are now suffering even more, losing a job, not being able to find a job, having to figure out how to pay for child care while schools were in distance learning," DeSantis said.
According to new numbers released on Friday, Florida's unemployment rate in June was 10.4%.
"One of the things that's really been clear is the amount of anxiety and stress that people have felt because of some of the economic dislocations that have happened here," DeSantis said.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Coronavirus
According to the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health on Friday, there are 323,002 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 11,443 cases from the day before.