Here are eight stories from Mainstreet Daily News this week that will inspire, enlighten and engage you. Enjoy!

​The Alachua County Commission will conduct their Virtual Regular Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. The evening portion of this meeting is canceled. The Meeting includes a COVID-19 discussion, Charter Amendments, and other items.

It was a noteworthy news week in Alachua County. From face mask debates and votes, to skate park controversies, to a virtual swearing-in ceremony, it was a week of breaking news... oh and there was a wildfire near Hawthorne on Thursday. Here are 10 stories published by Mainstreet Daily News …

The City of Gainesville, using tests provided by the Department of Health, is expanding access to COVID-19 testing in Gainesville communities.

The Alachua County Commission and City of Gainesville Commission will hold a Virtual Joint Meeting today at 3 p.m. The meeting includes a COVID-19 Update and County and City response and recovery efforts.The public may attend virtually through Cox Channel 12, Facebook​, and the County’s Vide…

As Florida reopens and increases activity, the COVID-19 dashboard launched on March 16th to keep Florida citizens, researchers and media informed of case trends is set to be absorbed by the Department of Health.

Alachua County has issued Order 2020-25 in response to and cooperation with the Governor’s Executive Order 20-123.Highlights include all businesses the Governor is allowing to operate may have up to 50% occupancy (read below for exceptions), gyms may open, the mandatory masking provision is …

The Center Square — Florida says it can fill the black hole in many Americans’ lives caused by the COVID-19 suspensions or postponements of professional basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer and NASCAR seasons.

As the recovery continues, the County Commission is looking at information from many diverse sources and indicators as they make decisions on what the recovery in Alachua County should look like.

The Josiah T. Walls Builidng, home to the offices of the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections and Alachua County Property Appraiser, will reopen May 18. 

Florida restaurants and retail businesses can allow twice as many customers in starting May 18th.

The Center Square – In the week when some Floridians started returning to work, initial unemployment claims for the week ending May 9 jumped 30 percent in Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and elected officials from Miami-Dade and Broward counties announced today they will be joining the other 65 counties in the state’s Phase 1 reopening effective May 18th.

The Center Square – Florida’s 2.8 million K-12 students are returning to reopened schools next academic year, but when and how they will do so in a “new normal” remains unknown.

The Newberry City Commission voted 3-2 to lift the State of Emergency order status put in place on March 17th by letting a motion for its extension to fail during the May 11th meeting. 

The Center Square – Florida is going to create a statewide network of “COVID-designated facilities” where nursing home, assisted care (ALF) and long-term care (LTC) residents diagnosed or recovering from the disease can convalesce.

The Florida Department of Health in Levy County with the assistance of the Levy County Board of County Commissioners will be conducting free, community COVID-19 drive thru testing beginning late next week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, the Florida Department of Health announced the launch of a new mobile app, StrongerThanC19. The free app, available for iOS and Android devices, complements the community action survey website of the same name that launched on April 3rd. These cutting-edge tools ar…

 FAQs on FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMERGENCY ORDER NO. 2020-21.  Below are the newest questions and answers.  To see all FAQs click the following link: https://alachuacounty.us/covid-19/Pages/faqs.aspx

The Center Square – Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida will ramp up serological testing next week to see whether people have antibodies that indicate they were infected with the coronavirus and recovered without demonstrating symptoms.

The Alachua County commission is asking that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis give Florida counties more discretion in order to open more businesses.

While Alachua County residents and elected officials debate the use of face masks in scenarios where face-to-face interactions happen and physical distancing is difficult, an airborne virus with no known cure has infected 37,439 Florida residents and killed 1,471.

Due to ongoing concerns about the course of the COVID-19 epidemic, Alachua County Public Schools is cancelling both its Extended Day Enrichment and its Camp Crystal summer programs.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that a record number of test results were reported on May 4th registering a 2.6 percent positivity rate for that day.

The Center Square – Florida U.S. Senator Rick Scott opposes a prospective assistance package that would allow state and municipal governments to use federal money to replace revenue shortfalls attributable to combating the COVID-19 emergency.

The state’s $40 million unemployment benefits system known as CONNECT has not served the taxpayers who paid for it, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday as he called for an investigation to figure out why.

The Alachua County Commission will conduct a Virtual Special Meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 1:30 p.m.

Florida ranks third in the nation for COVID-19 testing according to Gov. Ron DeSantis who announced that 403,275 results have been reported as of May 1st.

On May 2nd, the Alachua County Commission released Alachua County Emergency Order 2020-21 - which itemized the specifics of re-opening businesses in Alachua County.

The Center Square – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced at least 80 of Florida’s 175 state parks will reopen Monday in tandem with the first phase of his "Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step" plan.

Alachua County decided on May 1st that it will follow some of the governor’s Phase 1 opening plans exactly as presented in an executive order set to go in effect on May 4th, and to add to others.