Governor Ron DeSantis attributed the current spike in infections to the season.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that his state will not shut down again despite a record-breaking influx of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, making the Sunshine State the nation’s new virus epicenter. « We’re not shutting down, » DeSantis said Tuesday at a press conference. « These interventions have failed time and time again throughout this pandemic, not just in the United States but abroad. They have not stopped the spread. And particularly with Delta, which is even more transmissible, if it didn’t stop it before, it definitely ain’t going to stop it now. » On Friday, Florida reported 21,683 new infections, the in the state in a single day since the start of the pandemic, according to data released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Sunday, Florida had 10,207 people from COVID-19 complications, which broke a previous record from more than half a year before vaccines were widely available, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In July, Florida was one of four states that accounted for 40% of the country’s total infections, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said over the weekend. During that time, Florida recorded one out of every five of the nation’s new cases, he said. DeSantis said Tuesday that « the media fixates on cases, » while perpetuating « hysteria » and « fear-mongering.
