Tampa General Hospital will be among the first in the country to receive either the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, depending on which receives approval first. AdventHealth Orlando, UF Health Jacksonville, Hollywood’s Memorial Regional and Miami’s Jackson Memorial will also have the vaccine sometime in mid-December. It would be given to groups like first responders, health care workers and those at greatest risk first, with public distribution last.

New guidelines issued by the CDC Thursday advised against travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, and if you do to take all necessary precautions. The report also said to celebrate with just the people you live with and avoid any gatherings.

Thursday’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose by another 9,085 cases bringing the state total to 914,333. To date 17,810, Floridians have died. Free COVID-19 tests are available in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, and for more information from the Florida Department of Health, the COVID-19 Call Center is open 24/7 at 1-866-779-6121. You can also reach them by email at covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours. BayCare is offering rapid result tests at nine Urgent Care Centers for asymptomatic individuals. This is one you’ll have to pay for up front at $150 and can make an online appointment for on the BayCare web site.

Online learning will still be an option for students in Florida in the second half of the school year. Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran made the announcement Wednesday and will have an update for students and teachers at the end of the month. Statistics have show 1.6 million of the state’s 2.8 million schoolchildren had signed up for in-person instruction back in March and the number has increased with parents and educators concerns over students falling behind.

The Florida Strawberry Festival will go on, but without headline entertainers. They could normally seat up to 9,000 fans in the stands but have decided to cancel due to COVID-19. The fair’s usual midway rides concessions, and agriculture competitions will go on as scheduled at the 11-day event.

Tropicana Field will become the new home of the WWE Thunderdome. The move from the Amway Center is Orlando will be in time for the first show December 11th and will include shows like Raw and SmackDown along with pay-per-view events on closed sets. Only essential personnel will be allowed.

The first international non-stop flights since March will landed Tampa International Airport Thursday. The upcoming Thanksgiving week is usually the busiest time of the year, but TPA expects almost half the number of travelers this year. You can take advantage of self-service boarding pass scanners for outgoing passengers and COVID-19 testing in the terminal. The site is run by BayCare and has tested 100-200 people a day.

History will be made at this Monday night’s Bucs games against the Rams. It will be an all-black officiating crew for the first time in NFL history. The crew will include referee Jerome Boger, umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, side judge Dale Shaw, field judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed.

Keep an eye on your pets if you live in Westchase. A black coyote has been spotted numerous times and doesn’t seem fazed by residents trying to catch pictures. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that black coyotes are rare but to keep an eye on small pets especially. There are no plans to try and catch the coyote because the FWC says more will just take its place.

Cox Media Group