Florida and Texas continue to report fewer new cases of the Chinese coronavirus than Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) New York, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows.
Breitbart News has continued to track the seven-day totals of new cases in New York and states such as Florida and Texas, which do not have mask mandates or other heavy pro-lockdown restrictions in place. March 26 CDC data shows both states continuing to fare better than the blue state in terms of new cases of the virus, despite an absence of significant restrictions and statewide mask mandates.
According to the CDC’s March 26 data, Florida reported 151.8 new cases of the virus per 100,000 in the last seven days, or 32,608 cases in that time period, total. Texas reported just 83 cases per capita, or 24,055 total in the last seven days.
In contrast, New York has reported 225.3 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days, or 24,909 total. Notably, this total does not include New York City’s data, as the CDC counts the two separately. New York City has reported 420.6 new cases per 100,000 in the last week, or 35,325 cases total. Combined, New York State, including the city, has reported 60,234 cases of the virus in the last seven days — over 27,000 more cases than Florida and over 36,000 more than Texas, both of which do not have statewide mask mandates.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) became the establishment media’s target of scrutiny last year after refusing to continue to implement arduous lockdown orders throughout the pandemic. Instead, DeSantis largely left restrictions to localities. Then in September, the Republican governor lifted key restrictions across the state, allowing businesses to reopen at a greater capacity at the state level and putting the burden of challenges on local governments rather than business owners. At the time, DeSantis also extended an act of “executive grace,” suspending mask-related fines and penalties imposed by local governments. DeSantis never issued a statewide mask mandate and, weeks ago, signed an executive order canceling coronavirus-related fines imposed by local governments in the Sunshine State issued between March 1, 2020, and March 10, 2021.
Months later, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) reopened the Lone Star State, lifting key restrictions and ending the statewide mask mandate, which had remained in place since July.
“It is time for Texas to be open 100 percent,” Abbott said. “Everybody that wants a job should be able to get a job. Every business that wants to be open should be open.”
His announcement drew similar criticism from the establishment media, leftists, and Hollywood liberals, many of whom expressed outrage over the decision to open the state:
Prior to his mounting scandals regarding nursing homes and sexual harassment allegations, Cuomo stood as the darling of the Democrats, routinely earning praise for his handling of the virus in his state. He systematically shut down businesses and imposed stringent public health measures, some of which continue to remain in place, including the statewide mask mandate.