Florida Has Record High Number Of New Covid-19 Coronavirus Cases

Bear in mind when the Workplace of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) issued a press launch on October 27 with the headline, “Florida Reaches Lowest Case Rate in the Nation?” That was, by the best way, after Florida had skilled “one of many greatest summer season spikes within the nation,” within the phrases of Ed Browne, writing for Newsweek.

Properly, a lot for the “lowest case charge. On Thursday, Florida set a brand new file for the variety of reported Covid-19 circumstances in a day with 31,758. That’s increased than the earlier file of 27,669, set again on August 26, based on Andrea Torres and David Selig reporting for Local10.com. So in case you are planning a Winter getaway to the Sunshine State anytime quickly, chances are you’ll need to hold a detailed eye on the information.

The next News4JAX section lined Thursday’s new file:

Then on Friday, the state broke the file but once more with 32,850 new reported circumstances, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Previous to the pandemic, Florida has lengthy been a well-liked Winter getaway vacation spot, in all probability extra so than Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska. Proper now, the temperature in Miami, Florida, is a balmy 78° F, in comparison with 9° F in Prospect Creek. The height journey season to Florida tends begin round Thanksgiving and lengthen by means of mid-April, according to Andrea M. Rotondo writing for The Points Guy (TPG), an American journey web site and weblog. So the Florida Governor’s October 27 press launch got here somewhat upfront of this peak season, which can or might not have been a concidence.

Regardless, appears like that press launch might have been a little bit of a “untimely declaration,” although. In spite of everything, you don’t brush your hair in the midst of a curler coaster rise, begin making marriage ceremony plans in the midst of a primary date, or tout a low case charge when the you’re nonetheless in the midst of a pandemic. As we’ve seen a number of occasions throughout this pandemic, issues which are untimely can depart a lot disappointment and an enormous mess.

The next tweet from Daniel Uhlfelder, a lawyer in Florida, advised that “DeSantis has declared victory over Covid-19” on a number of events all through the pandemic:

In fact, “declared victory” is a subjective time period. Nonetheless, it does appear to be Florida has had untimely relaxations of Covid-19 precautions all through the pandemic. Covid-19 precautions like face masks carrying, social distancing, and vaccination are a bit like showering. You don’t wait till the center of date to say, “oh, pardon me whereas I am going take a bathe.” As a substitute, it’s best to preserve an appropriate stage of hygiene that wouldn’t make racoons maintain their noses.

Equally, so long as the pandemic stays a nationwide emergency, Covid-19 precautions must be maintained, particularly previous to any doable anticipated surges, such because the one which’s occurring proper now. The present Winter surge was in no way a whole shock. I warned a couple of potential surge this Winter again in August and then once more in November. But, many individuals continued to behave as if the pandemic had been just like the TV sequence Recreation of Thrones, one way or the other over.

All through a lot of the pandemic, DeSantis hasn’t precisely been tremendous encouraging about face masks carrying and social distancing. In actual fact, his administration has even prevented native officers from requiring such measures, as I’ve beforehand lined for Forbes. Within the following tweet from The Hill, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) claimed that “there isn’t a one else in all the United States, I believe, that has completed extra to make it more durable to maintain folks wholesome than Ron DeSantis:”

DeSantis has additionally fought in opposition to Covid-19 vaccination necessities, though Florida has lagged about half the states within the U.S. in vaccination protection. According to a list compiled by Katie Adams for Becker’s Hospital Review, as of 6 am EDT on December 22, with 62.99 p.c of their inhabitants absolutely vaccinated, Florida ranked twenty third out of fifty states plus Washington, DC.

You may not leap on the probability to eat an entry that got here in twenty third out of 51 in a baking contest. Such a rating in vaccination protection isn’t precisely “profitable” both. But, the Governor’s October 27 press launch included the next quote from DeSantis: “With out mandates or lockdowns, Covid-19 circumstances in Florida have decreased 90% since August. Along with circumstances, hospitalizations have plummeted in our state. This has been completed by making monoclonal antibody remedies and vaccines extensively out there all through our state whereas defending Floridians from authorities overreach.”

Umm, Covid-19 circumstances are inclined to drop in a state after a Covid-19 surge in the identical approach that partygoers depart your own home after they’ve eaten all of the meals and drunk all of your beer. As soon as the viruses have contaminated so many individuals, they primarily run out of individuals to contaminate and transfer to different areas the place extra vulnerable folks could also be out there. Certain vaccination might have helped convey down the variety of circumstances. Nevertheless it’s not as if Florida has been main the nation in vaccination protection.

The change in seasons coupled with the shortage of enough Covid-19 precautions seemingly led to the present Winter surge. Sure, the Omicron variant of the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could also be additional fueling the present Winter surge. However don’t blame the surge solely on the Omicron variant. Covid-19 circumstances had been already on the upswing in several elements within the U.S. in November, previous to the unfold of the Omicron variant. Will this Winter surge forestall politicians from making untimely declarations of victory over the pandemic sooner or later? It might be a bit untimely to say.