Airlines, agriculture and education: How state officials plan to reopen Florida

From travel and tourism to farming and education, virtually every aspect of Florida’s economy has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airline travel, cruises, and agriculture, and what it would take to get them going again, were major talking points during the Reopen Florida Task Force conference call Thursday.

Here’s a breakdown of each industry discussed.

Airline industry

Airline industry leaders said companies will need to not only adopt rules, but follow them to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure travelers feel safe.

Officials said safety rules will have to start from the time you leave home all the way to the ticket counter, gate and then the plane.

Airport traffic is down about 97%. Joe Lapano, president of the Tampa International Airport, says it’s hard to grasp.

“It’s almost unthinkable,” he said.

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The country’s airports have remained open, and have already made major changes for safety. Essential workers are working from home. Those coming in are working in staggered shifts while wearing masks and gloves.

Airlines are encouraged to use every other gate to keep people apart.

“We need to get people moving again. While our service today is limited due to almost no demand, our schedule today is about 10% of our normal schedule,” said Ted Christie III, president and CEO of Spirit Airlines, which is headquartered in Florida.

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Cruise lines

VIDEO: Port Canaveral CEO remains confident the cruise industry will rebound Cruise companies canceled cruises over a month ago because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now they're waiting to reopen. WFTV's Melonie Holt reports.

Cruise lines have also been one of the hardest-hit industries, as dozens of people have gotten sick on board.

Safety will take a collective effort, and that travel industries are not competitors in change, according to Rick Sasso, from MSC Cruises.

Sasso said he doesn’t know when the public can go on cruises again, but the industry won’t bounce back until people feel better about getting on a boat.

“Consumer confidence … is going to have to be present in everything we do,” he said.

Agriculture

VIDEO: Florida's farmers suffer as crops go unpicked Millions of pounds of food is rotting in the fields because people are not around to pick it. WFTV's Shannon Butler reports.

The Sunshine State is first in producing grapefruit, oranges, squash, sugarcane, cucumbers and fresh-market tomatoes. It is second in the U.S. in producing bell peppers, sweet corn, strawberries, snap beans, fresh-market cucumbers and watermelons.

But much of that is going to waste. Shelf life and a lack of storage is hindering so much of the efforts to save Florida fruits and vegetables.

Restaurants are close and retail levels have slowed, resulting in crop losses through just half of the month to be 522.5 million. Farmers have been donating food, but some food pantries have been turning them away.

When the states reopen, farmers will have to meet more demand, and need to know how much to plant. All of that will cost money that they aren’t making right now.

“If we don’t get some help, I do believe there are some growers that will go out of business,” said Mike Joyner, president of Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.

Schools

Coronavirus In-depth: Childcare discussed for people returning to work as reopening discussions continue WFTV's Shannon Butler reports.

As the state gets ready to open, many parents will go back to work, but students will not be going back to school.

About 50% of the early learning and daycare centers have closed. The disruption in learning could have long-term impacts, so the state is working on how to get them up speed, and get so children ready for kindergarten.

Plans are being made for officials to try and close the achievement gap with what they call the achievement gap, which means if schools can reopen, they can open for VPK, a free educational program.

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