ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County opened its CARES Act portal online this weekend to help families struggling during the pandemic.
The first 15,000 people who entered were able to apply for $1,000 stimulus checks, but county leaders say they did not receive that many applications.
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This was the second time the county has opened its CARES portal.
The online portal was open for a little over eight hours. There was a big difference from just a few weeks ago, when the portal, for people in need of financial assistance due to COVID-19, opened and closed in less than an hour.
It was on a first-come, first-serve basis, meaning the first 15,000 people who applied went into the pool of applicants.
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However, the county says they didn’t get that many.
“A little over 8,600 applications were completed and submitted from that 15,000,” said Dianne Arnold with Orange County.
This means that there is more money to go around and the portal could open again soon.
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The county said it may open again in early November.
It’s important to remember that if you already applied and received the money, or had your application rejected, you cannot apply again.
Cox Media Group
