Palm Beach County officials have declared a local state of emergency to improve what they call a shortage of hospital resources for COVID-19 patients. The state of emergency may allow Palm Beach County to bring in additional medical personnel from other parts of the state and country, and will also direct the private health care system to transmit real-time data regarding COVID-19 hospital bed availability.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that transplant recipients and others with severely weakened immune systems, certain cancers and other immune-compromising disorders, can receive an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to better protect them against the delta variant. The FDA has determined that qualified recipients and others with a similar level of compromised immunity can receive a third dose at least 28 days after getting their second shot. The FDA’s decision only applies to this high-risk group, estimated to be no more than 3% of U.S. adults. This extra dose is not a booster for the general population.

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the state is deploying a rapid response mobile unit that will deliver monoclonal antibody treatments for people infected with the coronavirus. The FDA defines monoclonal antibodies as laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens such as viruses. The Governor said he's hoping the monoclonal antibody treatments will prevent patients from having to go to emergency rooms. The mobile monoclonal antibody treatment distribution will start in Jacksonville and eventually expand to other parts of the state.

Palm Beach County has re-opened the drive-through COVID testing site at the South County Civic Center. The South County Civic Center is located at 16700 Jog Road Delray Beach, FL 33446. Testing will be available every day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm at no cost.

A federal report just released shows that last week’s first-time jobless claims in Florida were at a level not seen since before the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Labor estimated that 4,381 new unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended August 7, down from a revised count of 7,718 claims in the week ending July 31. Based on the federal report's positive trend, it is anticipated that Florida’s July unemployment report will show the state continuing to add private-sector jobs, with a number similar to the 69,300 jobs added in June.

I look forward to you joining us as we honor and recognize our prestigious Diamond & Pearl Award recipients on Friday, September 10 at The Boca Raton. The Diamond Award honors a woman who is Dedicated, Inspiring, Accomplished, Motivated, Outstanding, Noble and Driven. She is a businesswoman who has achieved success in her professional career and who continually makes a difference in the community. A veteran of the United States Army, she has put country above self and is a champion for her fellow veterans who have been injured in combat and struggle with home stability. This year’s Diamond Award recipient, Sophia Eccleston, Senior External Affairs Manager with Florida Power and Light, embodies the spirit in which the award was created. 

The Pearl Award is given to a young female who is a graduate of the Chamber's Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). This young woman is achieving success and shines bright as a rising star in the community. This year’s Pearl Award Recipient, Kasandra Diaz, is a graduate of the 2020 YEA Class and attended Boca Raton Community High School. Kasandra founded her business, Quickdropped, to provide an on-demand “Uber" like service for products needed by construction workers. For more information or to register for the event, click here.

Palm Beach State College has been awarded $1.9 million as part of a package to help it emerge from the pandemic. PBSC is one of three colleges in the state to receive the Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity grant. With the funds received from this grant, PBSC can focus on resuming operations, serving students' needs, and workforce development. Additionally, the grant will be used to implement three strategies: redesigning up to 30 classrooms for flexible learning environments, migrating faculty to platform for teaching online courses, and providing professional development to faculty and dual enrollment teachers for consistent online delivery. More information about the grant can be found here.

JES Media, the publisher of the Chamber’s Annual Magazine, is accepting space reservations for the 2022 Edition. This 200-page marquee publication is the guide to living, working, learning and playing in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County. In addition to its comprehensive editorial content, it includes a Membership Directory. Special sections include 561 Faces Business Profiles, a New Member Showcase and a Dining Guide. For information on advertising opportunities and deadlines, contact Bruce Klein at brucek@bocamag.com.

Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com.

We continue to provide you with valuable in-person and virtual experiences. Most virtual programs are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.

8/18 – 8:30 a.m. In-Person South Healthcare Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N)

8/19 – 8:00 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Coffee Plus

8/19 – 5:30 p.m. In-Person Successful Women in Business After–Hours Network

8/27 – 8:15 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Women’s Business Council 

Click here 

The Boca Raton Arts District Exploratory Corporation (BRADEC) is proud to announce its first seven-figure capital pledge to support the new Boca Raton Center for Arts & Innovation proposed at the north end of Mizner Park in Downtown Boca Raton. The donation comes from The Edith & Martin Stein Family Foundation in the amount of $5 million. For more information about the project, click here.

City of Boynton Beach

Executive Orders from Governor Ron DeSantis