Florida second in nation for COVID-19 testing

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police confirmed the arrest of the main suspect wanted in connection with the attempted shooting of an ambulance driver on the 27th of January opposite the Panadura Base Hospital.Sri Lanka Police said 8 grams of heroin was seized from the possession of the 32-year-old suspect from Kuruppumulla on Tuesday (8) night.Detectives are planning on obtaining a detention order to detain and interrogate the suspect, after producing him to the Panadura Magistrate’s Court.Sri Lanka Police on Tuesday (8) also arrested a 51-year-old man in connection to the attempted shooting of an ambulance driver in Panadura, on the 27th of January 2022.The suspect was identified as the assistant to the ambulance driver who was the main target of the shooters.On Independence Day (4), the Kalutara Crimes Division arrested the ambulance driver who was the target of gunmen in Panadura.Sri Lanka Police said the ambulance driver was transferring an expectant mother to the Panadura Hospital when several people chased after him on four motorcycles and opened fire at him.However, the weapon used by the gunman had jammed.Police said the ambulance driver was arrested after it was revealed that he was transporting Heroin at the time of the incident.According to Police, the person who was driving the motorcycle and the person who assisted in the shooting were also arrested.The assistant to the ambulance driver had confessed to police that the ambulance was used to transport drugs on several occasions.In addition, another man was arrested from Panadura on Tuesday (8) for spying on the ambulance driver.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on Wednesday (9) ordered to release of a Church worker, who was detained over the discovery of a hand grenade from All Saint’s Church in Borella.On the 2nd of February, the Additional Magistrate ordered to release of three other workers connected to the incident.Accordingly, all four church workers who were arrested and detained over the incident, have been released.Sri Lanka’s Attorney General had recommended that they be released given the fact that they were not involved in the incident.A week ago, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris informed the court that it was revealed that the three other workers were not connected to the incident in any way, and the Attorney General had advised to release them.

MIAMI – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' general counsel pressured a law firm representing the Miami Herald to stop the filing of a public records lawsuit seeking information from state officials about which elderly-care facilities in Florida had coronavirus cases, the newspaper reported Sunday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Department of Children and Families to request a federal waiver for Florida to launch a pilot project to allow families to purchase groceries online with their Electronic Benefit Transfer card amid the spread of the coronavirus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida issued more than 32,000 laptops to small and rural school districts across the state during the stay-at-home order amid the spread of the coronavirus, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Less traffic on the roads in Florida amid the spread of the coronavirus has allowed crews to work more on the I-4 Ultimate project, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida has administered 173,000 coronavirus tests so far.

On April 2, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order suspending evictions and foreclosures for 45 days amid the coronavirus pandemic.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he hopes to get unemployment checks out as quickly as possible for the now 225,775 people who have filed for unemployment in the state.

Since the coronavirus first hit the U.S. private companies have developed new COVID-19 tests that can reduce result turnaround time from days to minutes. On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida is using some of the newest rapid testing available and has now tested nearly 1 in 100 Floridians for the virus.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday the state will soon allow COVID-19 testing for anyone who has had prolonged interaction with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Churches across Central Florida are preparing to hold Easter Sunday services in very nontraditional ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Churches across Central Florida are preparing to hold Easter Sunday services in very nontraditional ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ORLANDO, Fla. – After running out of supplies sent by the federal government, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the coronavirus testing site at the Orange County Convention Center will remain open with support from the state.

ORLANDO, Fla. – As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Central Florida and the death toll increases, there are improving signs as we near the peak of the virus.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools announced graduation ceremonies for all of the high schools in the county have been postponed.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Like much of the decisions made in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Florida’s governor believes the right time to send students back to school may not be a “one-size-fits-all” move.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two U.S Representatives from Florida wrote a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis urging him to send needed supplies to Central Florida first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus.

ORLANDO, Fla. – While recent models show the state’s peak could be sooner than initially expected and with fewer deaths, Florida officials are still preparing for the worst.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida schools are closed through the end of April due to the coronavirus pandemic, but will students return to the classroom this school year?

ORLANDO, Fla. – The drug President Donald Trump has backed during daily White House briefings as the weapon against the coronavirus is back in the spotlight.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Two weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all passengers arriving at Florida’s airports from the New York area amid the coronavirus pandemic to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine, News 6 discovered some of those passengers slipped through the cracks.

With a COVID-19 vaccine months away, medical workers in Florida’s coronavirus hot zones are deploying different tactics to treat patients with severe cases of the respiratory illness.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – As the coronavirus pandemic leads to more workers across Central Florida being furloughed and laid off, CareerSource is offering curbside pickup of paper unemployment applications, according to a news release.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said more than 100 FedEx storefronts in the state are providing free printing and mailing of reemployment assistance applications.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The latest coronavirus predictions models for Florida show that the state could be two weeks closer to experiencing the worst of the pandemic now that the Floridians should be observing a stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis that began Friday.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Testing has been a big focus of Florida’s coronavirus response and now Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to take those efforts even further by expanding the testing capabilities for COVID-19 antibodies.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday the state has now surpassed 120,000 completed coronavirus tests, and that number continues to rise as new drive-thru testing sites are planned around the state.

ORLANDO, Fla. – In light of Holy Week, Gov. Ron DeSantis has a prayer for religious Floridians during the coronavirus pandemic: “Please keep God close, but please keep COVID-19 away.”

As the coronavirus pandemic rocks the economic foundations of the nation, more people than ever before are out of work and looking for new employment opportunities. This influx of unemployed Floridians has caused a major upset in the resources put in place to provide relief.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Florida State Representative David Santiago said in a video posted to Facebook that new drive-thru coronavirus testing sites will be coming to Volusia County within the next week to better service residents.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The impacts caused by the coronavirus are far-reaching. Not only is the pandemic a major health crisis, but it’s also causing widespread job loss and many families are struggling to make ends meet.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Brevard County has closed the Viera Wetlands to the public as a result of Gov. Ron Desantis’ “Stay at Home” executive order that took effect Friday, according to news 6 partner Florida Today.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis answered questions some may have about Florida’s stay-at-home order that was put in place amid the spread of the coronavirus.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Modifications have been made to the Space Coast Area transit due to the coronavirus, according to the Brevard County Commissioners.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Only seven minutes after the Orange County Convention Center drive-thru COVID-19 testing site opened on Friday, it had to close to new patients due to high volume and demand.

ORLANDO, Fla. – For the past week, Florida coronavirus cases have grown daily by the hundreds, the latest data from the Florida Department of Health shows.

Friday will bring a new day for the entire state of Florida as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 30-day stay-at-home order will officially start.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order he’s hoping will ease the significant burden on the state department that handles unemployment claims due to the agency being flooded with inquiries from people who have been laid off as the country deals with the coronavirus pandemic.

Hospital staff at Jackson South Medical Center pray on the hospital's helipad. (Jackson Health System)

Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, who said this morning he just learned that the novel coronavirus could be spread by asymptomatic carriers, issued a statewide stay-at-home order today, following a similar announcement yesterday by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Both Kemp and DeSantis have resisted shutting down state economies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – All Volusia County beaches will close in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to county leaders.

The Halifax Humane Society announced Thursday that in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stay-at-home order, the shelter will be closed to the public until April 30 or until further notice, according to the society’s Facebook page.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Officials in Brevard County provided an update Thursday to discuss restrictions following a stay-at-home order after coronavirus cases rose in Florida, including the decision to close the county to visitors.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida coronavirus cases grew by more than 1,000 in one day, according to the latest Florida Department of Health numbers, as local and state officials warn the worst is yet to come and residents prepare to stay at home beginning Friday.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are taking time to work on their fitness while practicing social distancing.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez appeared to use their star power to gain access to a closed gym in Florida before the state's stay-at-home order goes into effect. The engaged couple was photographed exiting a gym in Miami on Wednesday afternoon — the same day Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all residents to stay home beginning at 12:01 a.m.

Jennifer Lopez, 50, looked amazing when she stepped out of a Miami, FL gym on Apr. 1. The singer showed off her fit abs while wearing a red crop top and matching red leggings with black and white designs all over them. She also had her hair up in a high bun as she rocked aviator style shades and held a bedazzled cup. Although the gym wasn’t technically open (there was a sign on the door) due to the coronavirus pandemic, J.Lo  and her fiance Alex Rodriguez, 44, still managed to get a session in, which was a good thing considering it may be her last time to have an outside workout for a while.