ICYMI

Hey! COVID-19 is still killing Floridians, Disney is finally building in some shade, Walgreens pays up in opioid case and other news you may have missed last week.

» COVID-19 death toll tops 74,000 in Florida

Florida has exceeded 74,000 resident deaths from COVID-19, while newly reported cases steadily climb, according to data released Friday by the state Department of Health. The data showed that 74,060 residents had died as of a Thursday count. That was up from 73,830 reported two weeks earlier. Because of lags in reporting, it is not clear when the additional deaths occurred. The new data also showed that 32,981 new COVID-19 cases were reported from April 29 to Thursday, continuing a gradual increase. That was up from 26,534 cases the previous week. Reported new cases were as low as 8,040 during the week of March 11 to March 17.

» Disney is going green in newly released renderings of Epcot revamp

Disney has shared concept art for its planned revamp of Epcot at Walt Disney World. The planned World Celebration neighborhood of Epcot will be full of gardens and shade, providing a much-needed break from the Orlando sunshine (strangely, something we rarely see at local parks). The gardens will be set around a central planter in the shape of Epcot’s five-ring logo, each distinct from the others, and plants will be rotated out with the changing of the seasons. The area will function as an outdoor planetarium in the evening, with a focus on a new plaza for festivals and live events.

» Walgreens agrees to pay $683 million in Florida opioid case

Nearly a month into a jury trial over the opioid epidemic, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday announced the state had reached a $683 million settlement with Walgreens Co. The pharmacy chain was the sole remaining defendant in a sweeping lawsuit that the attorney general’s office filed in 2018 targeting opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers. “After four weeks of the state putting on, under oath, into evidence, how Walgreens played a role in this epidemic, toward the end of our case, the white flag was raised, and we were able to begin negotiations in a productive manner. Today is a culmination of that trial,” Moody told reporters at a Tampa news conference. The settlement calls for Walgreens to pay $620 million to the state over 18 years and to make a one-time payment of $63 million for attorneys’ fees, according to a statement released by Walgreens. The agreement includes no admission of wrongdoing or liability by Walgreens.

» Court rejects Florida businesses’ argument that insurance should cover losses from COVID-19 shutdown

A federal appeals court Thursday rejected arguments by Florida restaurants and a furniture retailer that insurance policies should have covered losses stemming from shutdowns early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The 34-page decision in four consolidated cases came after a flood of claims and litigation across the country from businesses that had to temporarily close their doors or scale back operations in 2020 because of government orders. A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that, under Florida law, “there is no coverage because COVID-19 did not cause a tangible alteration of the insured properties.”

» Orlando Police Chief Rolón cites George Floyd protests, COVID19 in retirement announcement

After 30 years with the Orlando Police Department, Chief Orlando Rolón announced he will retire this fall. In a letter sent to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Rolón shared that his last day of work will be in August and he plans to officially retire on November 1. Rolón has served as the chief of police since 2018, and was the first Hispanic person to ever hold the role in Orlando. In his letter, Rolón praised OPD officers and also noted the unique circumstances of the last several years, noting his tenure came during the summer of unrest following the police killing of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic. Rolón’s department made the decision to tear gas protestors in Orlando, something he has stood by. In the wake of the protests, OPD upgraded security around their headquarters. In the letter, he says that his force was able to “maintain order and peace without any significant incidents.”