Shops like Sears and Victoria’s Secret -- once mainstays of the American mall- fell victim to the 'mallpocalypse' as online shopping squeezed the life out of brick and mortar stores.
But in Seminole County, a former department store at the Oviedo Mall has a new lease on life- as a vaccination site for residents 65 and older. And it's not the only county where empty shopping malls are being repurposed as vaccination sites.
On this episode of Intersection, Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris discusses the frontline in the war on coronavirus that’s being waged where customers once shopped for clothes and shoes.
Then, Desmond Meade, who rose to prominence as a campaigner for restoring the voting rights of people who served felony convictions, has a new mission: getting prisoners vaccinated against COVID-19. Meade, who leads the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, tells Intersection it’s time the state government prioritized prisoners for vaccination.
And with the pandemic taking a big bite out of tourism- the Orange County Convention Center has had to pare back staff- and expansion plans. Executive Director Mark Tester says the convention crowds will come back- he’s just not sure when.