An $8 billion federal package includes more than $27 million for Florida's response to the coronavirus.
Gov. Ron DeSantis' office says the state also received $500,000 in emergency funding on March 4, before the funding package passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump.
The funding will help Florida with testing and preparation if the outbreak gets worse. Community health centers will get additional dollars to treat COVID-19 patients. It also loosens Medicare rules for telehealth providers, so sick people could get treatment without visiting a doctor.
Sen. Marco Rubio says small businesses affected by cornoavirus are now eligible for loans from the Small Business Administration. In a statement, Rubio added that Congress should look at ways of reducing U.S. economic dependence on China, where the coronavirus outbreak began.
Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7
