Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) touted Florida’s milestone of reaching the lowest coronavirus case rate in the nation on Wednesday, highlighting the “overreach” of vaccine mandates.
“Without mandates or lockdowns, COVID-19 cases in Florida have decreased 90% since August,” DeSantis said in a press release. “In addition to cases, hospitalizations have plummeted in our state.”
“This has been accomplished by making monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccines widely available throughout our state while protecting Floridians from government overreach,” he added.
According to the latest numbers, over the past two months, Florida’s daily average has dropped to about eight cases per 100,000 residents (about 1,700 cases per day), a sharp turn from its numbers in August when it averaged 116 cases per 100,000 residents (about 25,000 cases per day). Hawaii, an island state with a strict entry policy, trails closely behind Florida with nine cases per 100,000 residents.
As Yahoo News noted, Florida’s case rates are now “roughly half of California’s current COVID rate and less than a quarter of Vermont’s,” both of which have vaccination rates over 70 percent. In other blue states, such as New York, the numbers are even worse. As Breitbart reported:
New York, once the U.S. epicenter of the virus, is reporting 21 cases per capita — a decrease of 17 percent over the past 14 days. Blue California is reporting 14 cases per 100,00, and Washington, DC, which currently has a mask mandate in place, is reporting 12 cases per 100,000 — all higher than the Sunshine State. Similarly, Illinois is reporting 17 cases per capita. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has shown no signs of lifting the statewide mask mandate, which he reinstated in August.
While these blue states implemented forceful lockdown measures throughout the pandemic and reinstated some of the restrictions, including mask mandates, in recent weeks, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has remained consistent in his refusal to lock down his state and cripple the economy.
A health care worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine during a vaccination event hosted by Miami Heat at FTX Arena in Miami, on August 5, 2021. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
In the wake of Florida’s success, Gov. Ron DeSantis has positioned his state as a safe haven from the intense overreach that city and state governments have foisted upon the citizenry with vaccine passports and strict mandates. This past Sunday, the governor told Maria Bartiromo of Fox News that he will seek to create legislation that will reward a $5,000 bonus to unvaccinated police officers who relocate to the Sunshine State in defiance of vaccine mandates.
“We’re actually actively working to recruit out-of-state law enforcement because we do have needs in our police and our sheriff’s departments. So, in the next legislative session, I’m going to hopefully sign legislation that gives a $5,000 bonus to any out-of-state law enforcement that relocates in Florida,” DeSantis said on Sunday Morning Futures.
“So, NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you’re not being treated well, we will treat you better here. You can fill important needs for us, and we will compensate you as a result,” he added.