COVID-19 Industry News
For Florida State and County specific information, click here and look for your County on the left.
House Passes The CARES Act; Heads to Trump for Signature
After a long morning of debate and voting, the House has passed The CARES Act. This $2.2 trillion package has sped through both houses of Congress and now heads to President Trump for his signature, which he widely expected to provide.
Following the lead of the Senate, the House will now go out of session until late April, although both houses have indicated they are willing to come back earlier if needed.
Senate Passes A Revised Version of The CARES Act
The Senate has just passed a revised version of The CARES Act estimated to cost close to $2 trillion by a unanimous vote. The CARES Act now goes to the House, where leadership will attempt to pass the vote by voice vote on Friday. Should this method fail, the House will pursue other methods of voting and will likely have to call some or all of the House back.
Governor DeSantis Executive Order on Protective Measures for Vulnerable Populations, Gatherings of Private Citizens and Density of the Workforce
Read the order HERE.
Governor DeSantis Executive Order on Isolation of People
Coming into FL
Governor DeSantis hereby directs all persons who enter the State of Florida from an area with substantial community spread, to include the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York), to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into the State of Florida or the duration of the person’s presence in the State of Florida, whichever is shorter. This Order shall not apply to persons employed by the airlines and those performing military, emergency or health response. This Order shall take effect immediately and apply retroactively to all persons who have entered Florida after being in any area with substantial community spread within the previous 14 days. All persons isolating or quarantining under this Section shall be responsible for all costs associated with their isolation or quarantine, including transportation, lodging, food, medical care, and any other expenses to sustain the person during the period of isolation or quarantine.
Read the order HERE.
Attorney General Moody Issues More Than 40 Subpoenas Over Allegations of Price Gouging by Third-Party Sellers on Amazon
Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued more than 40 subpoenas to third-party sellers in Florida accused of price gouging on essential commodities through accounts on Amazon. The subpoenas come as Attorney General Moody’s Consumer Protection Division continues to review allegations of unlawful price increases on essential commodities during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Allegations against the third-party vendors include excessive price increases on commodities such as face masks, hand sanitizers and disinfectants of up to 1,662 percent.
Get more information HERE.
Associated Industries of Florida Coronavirus Update for Employers March 24, 2020
The coronavirus situation is rapidly evolving and we are here to provide you, our member, timely and relevant information.
This email contains some of the latest information specifically for employers. We realize that you are getting information from many sources on this pandemic, so our goal is to cut through the clutter and provide pertinent information that relates to you as an employer. To get additional information on the topics we have listed below you can simply go to our website to get the links.
Know that we are closely monitoring and tracking the government's response from the Governor's press conferences and Executive Orders, Department notices, legislative issues, and national directives that impact your business
Click HERE to visit AIF's COVID-19 Resources for Business website.
Commissioner Nikki Fried issues Emergency Orders & Rules
During COVID-19
Read the Emergency Orders HERE.
Department of Homeland Security - Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers
Please see that exterminators are now listed as "essential services" during these times. Click here for the Memorandum.
Congress & Coronavirus: HR 6201 Passed, Senate Stimulus Package Released & House Stimulus on the Way
FDACS Guidance to the Pest Control Industry for Use of Disinfectants
EPA-Registered Disinfectant Products for Use Against COVID-19 do not require licensure under Chapter 482 Florida Statutes (F.S.) for companies or individuals using disinfectants. However, these types of products must be used in accordance with label directions. Please be aware that there are different types of antimicrobial pesticides and it is important to ensure the product that is being applied is appropriate. An antimicrobial pesticide is intended to disinfect, sanitize, reduce, or mitigate growth or development of microbiological organisms or protect inanimate objects, industrial processes or systems, surfaces, water, or other chemical substances from contamination, fouling, or deterioration caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, algae, or slime. Disinfectants are a specific type of antimicrobial agent which can be used for public health protection dependent on the label claims and instructions. Antimicrobial label directions can be different from other types of pesticide labels, so please ensure all terminology is understood prior to application.
U.S. EPA Registered Disinfectants
CDC Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
National Pesticide Information Retrieval System
For questions regarding pesticide registration in Florida, please contact the FDACS Bureau of Scientific Evaluation and Technical Assistance, Pesticide Registration Section at 850-617-7940 or via email at RTS@FDACS.gov.
Pest Management University Newsletter on COVID-19
Get a PDF here.
Visit Pest Management University here.
