Thousands ignore social distancing recommendations due to unemployment crisis

As we're all being urged to social distance, too many Floridians say that's just not an option for them.

We’re watching people risk their health just to get their hands on a printed copy of the unemployment application.

BREATHING TUBES.IT’S AN INDICATION THAT SOCIALDISTANCING MEASURES ARE WORKING.THE UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS CAUSEDBY COVID-19 IS BEING DESCRIBEDAS SOMETHING WE HAVEN’T SEENSINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION.AS ISSUES WITH FLORIDA’S ONLINEUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS SYSTECONTINUE... MANY ARE RISKINGTHEIR HEALTH JUST TO SURVIVE.JESSICA ALPERN EXPLAINS.AS WE’RE ALL BEING URGED TOSOCIAL DISTANCE ... TOO MANYFLORIDIANS SAYING THAT’S JUSTNOT AN OPTION FOR THEM.IN FACT WE’RE WATCHING PEOPLERISK THEIR HEALTH JUST TO GETTHEIR HANDS ON A PRINTED COPY OFTHE UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATION.VO:TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO...LONG LINES FORMING IN SOUTHFLORIDA YESTERDAY, AND PEOPLECERTAINLY AREN’T STANDINGSIX-FEET APART.THE PLAN WAS FOR THIS PICK-UPLOCATION TO FUNCTION LIKE ADRIVE-THRU.THOUSANDS DESPERATELY WAITING TOGET THEIR HANDS ON A PAPER COPYOF THE UNEMPLOYMENT FORM.FOR MANY -- RISKING EXPOSURE TOCOIVD-19 SEEMED TO BE THEIR ONLYOPTION TO SURVIVE.THEY’VE HAD NO LUCK GETTINGTHROUGH ONLINE OR OVER THE PHONETO FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.WE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY ABOUT ALINK TO THIS APPLICATION YOU CANDOWNLOAD, FILL OUT AND SEND TOTALLAHASSEE WITHOUT LEAVING YOURHOME.HOWEVER, SOME WHO LINED UPSAYING THEY DON’T HAVE THEABILITY TO PRINT AT HOME...OTHERS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD BETHERE TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONSWHICH WASN’T THE CASE.SOTVO:"Elena Sosa: "I went in thehopes that maybe I could getsome help but unfortunately theperson who handed me theapplication said no, they wereonly giving out applications."BUTTElena Sosa: "I’m at the end ofmy rope.

I don’t think this isthe way you should treat people.THIS WAS ONE OF SEVERALLOCATIONS WHERE PAPERAPPLICATIONS ARE BEING HANDEDOUT IN SOUTH FLORIDA.THE STATE IS WARNING IT MAY TAKELONGER TO PROCESS THE PAPERFORMS THAN AN ONLINEAPPLICATION.300-THOUSAND FLORIDIANS APPLIEDFOR JOBLESS BENEFITS IN JUST THELAST TWO WEEKS OF MARCH.TAG:AGAIN, I DO WANT TO REMIND YOUTHAT IF YOU’RE ABLE TO DOW