Governor: Florida workers need immediate economic relief

March 17, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- As more and more businesses shutter to try to stop the spread of coronavirus,

federal lawmakers to quickly provide a federal stimulus package.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, the governor said it's important to get cash into the hands of people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck and are losing jobs because of the shutdowns.

He's also calling for more federal help supporting small businesses that may find themselves in a cash crunch as customers dwindle and revenues drop.

The governor says the state will offer re-employment assistance to laid off workers. Those employees should go to

.

Florida's unemployment for February was 2.8%, well below the national average.

DeSantis says to this point, the state's economy was having a great year, but the coronavirus, he says, "is going to cause problems."

You can watch the full press conference,

, below.