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DeSantis doubles down as Florida breaks COVID hospitalization record for third straight day
10:01 PM EDT, Thu August 05, 2021
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Governor Ron DeSantis doubled down on Tuesday as Florida broke its record for COVID-19 hospitalizations again, insisting that the spike will soon drop and reiterating that he won't impose any business restrictions or mask mandates.
The governor said he expects hospitalizations to drop in the next couple of weeks, reported the Associated Press, insisting that the spike is seasonal as residents are gathering together inside to avoid the heat.
Florida hit 11,515 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 on Tuesday, breaking last year's record for the third straight day, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Hospitalizations have increased 11 times over the 1,000 COVID patients hospitalized in mid-June, reported AP. About 2,400 patients are in intensive care.
DeSantis said his response to COVID-19 in the state is responsible for fewer Floridians dying now than last August.
A year ago, Florida was averaging about 180 COVID deaths per day during an early August spike, but last week averaged about 55 per day, reported AP.
"Even among a lot of positive tests, you are seeing much less mortality that you did year-over-year," he said at a Miami-area press conference. "Would I rather have 5,000 cases among 20-year-olds or 500 cases among seniors? I would rather have the younger."
Hospitals around the state are documenting a noticeable drop in the age of COVID patients.
"We are not shutting down," DeSantis said. "We are going to have schools open. We are protecting every Floridian's job in this state. We are protecting people's small businesses. 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, particularly with delta."
DeSantis said he wants parents to decide whether their children should wear masks at school.
A law DeSantis signed in May gives him power to invalidate local emergency public health measures, including mask mandates and limitations on business operations. It also bans any business or government entity from requiring proof of vaccination, reported AP.
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