Just some weeks ago in the United States, the State of Florida was experiencing the worst COVID-19 surge in the country. The Sunshine State had experienced the highest hospitalization rate as well as the highest seven-day average of cases per day in the country.
Irrespective of these gloomy metrics, Governor Ron DeSantis, did not give any stay-at-home orders, nor did he issue new lockdowns or closures. Instead, DeSantis argued that the wave was due to a seasonal pattern of the virus and urged residents to take the COVID-19 vaccines.
Now, the Covid-19 crisis inexplicably looks exceptionally different in the State of Florida, with Halloween and Thanksgiving festivals right around the corner. In other words, Covid cases and deaths have nevertheless been going down, with DeSantis refusing to implement any new mitigation measures.
According to data from the CDC, Florida now has one of the best Covid case and death rates in the United States. This is similar to the lowest Covid-related infections and fatalities recorded in the U.S. since April 2021.
In addition, the Sunshine State is doing well just like California, regardless of the West Coast State being strictly cautious by issuing mask mandates, limiting mass gatherings, and shutting bars and indoor dining at eateries.
According to experts, Covid waves typically occur in a two-month cycle, which means infections will rise and decline within two months. Governor DeSantis, instead of trying to prevent the waves from happening, preferred to let it ride out.
Now that Floridians head inside for the winter months, the declining rates could possibly change as potential cases might rise again. However, Florida seems to be doing well as of now, and the State’s downward trends will only continue.
In mid-August, the COVID-19 crisis was extremely serious in Florida, with the state recording some whopping 26,000 Covid cases in one day. This latter record is 44 percent higher than the previous record-high of 18,000 cases per day in January this year, according to CDC data.
In addition, Florida reported a record-high of 227 deaths per day in mid-August. However, Governor DeSantis nevertheless defended himself against critics, arguing during an interview with Fox News that the state was having ‘great success’ treating infected people early with monoclonal antibodies.
Additionally, DeSantis also accused President Joe Biden of failing to end the pandemic.
‘You know, he said he was going to end Covid. He hasn’t done that,’ DeSantis told host Jesse Watters. At the end of the day, he is trying to find a way to distract from the failures of his presidency.’
At the time, public health experts and doctors condemned DeSantis’s laissez-faire approach, which now appears to have paid off. According to CDC data, Florida is currently recording only nine cases per 100,000 people in a day as of Wednesday.
This is how the Sunshine State ends up with one of the best COVID-19 case and death rates in the US, behind California, Mississippi, Hawaii, and Alabama, respectively.
California is currently recording only three cases per 100,000 people daily, or 28 cases per 100,000 people in a week. Currently, Florida is recording 0.2 deaths per 100,000 people in a week – making the state the second-best in the US.
Florida is behind only California and New Mexico, which are recording 0.1 death per 100,000 people in a week. Florida is obviously having great success despite its Governor refusing to allow companies and schools to implement mask and vaccine mandates.
So does this mean DeSantis deserves all the credit for Florida’s improvement? Not necessarily. According to The New York Times, these declines seemingly follow a familiar two-month cycle since the pandemic began in early 2020, with cases and deaths increasing for about two months before declining.
