Why won’t DeSantis give the pandemic his best shot?
We know that Gov. DeSantis opposes attempts to contain COVID-19, such as mandatory mask wearing and limits on indoor gatherings.
We know that Gov. DeSantis won’t commit Florida to a strong vaccination promotion program.
In fact, he’s doing the opposite. So how does the pandemic — which remains very much with us — end in Florida?
Covid Act Now just ranked Florida at “very high risk,” its second-highest warning level. Only eight other states share that dubious rating.
COVID-19 hospitalizations trended up in April, especially among younger Floridians, and are at levels above last October. Five variants are circulating. Variants shot up after spring break. DeSantis had barred local governments from imposing public health measures.
On April 11, the state recorded just nine COVID-19 deaths — the first single-digit day since September. Ten days later, however, the death toll was 83, closer to the level at which the December-January surge began.
Even as more Floridians became vaccinated this month, cases began rising. As the chief medical officer of Memorial Healthcare System put it, “There’s still a lot of COVID out there.” But you wouldn’t know that public health experts still urge Floridians to take precautions. On Saturday night, 15,000 mostly maskless people filled Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Jacksonville for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.
Let’s not overlook the progress. A year ago, restaurants were closed. One case in the National Basketball Association had shut down sports at all levels, down to youth leagues. In Florida, the COVID-19 sevenday death average is 58.4. Three months ago, it was 180. Hospitalizations are averaging less than one-half what they were in late January.
But let’s also not overlook the reality. Florida ranks just 22nd in the nationwide death rate. Worse, we rank only 38th in the rate of people who have been fully vaccinated — about 28% of the population. That leaves us a long way from the 80% minimum to achieve herd immunity.
When I asked the governor’s office how the pandemic ends, a spokeswoman noted DeSantis’ emphasis on protecting nursing home patients and prioritizing vaccines for older Floridians. “Over 72% of people ages 55 and over have been vaccinated,” she said, “and Florida has seen a more than 80% reduction in cases among seniors age 65 and older.”
As for vaccine promotion, the spokeswoman said, “State outreach teams have knocked on more than 500,000 doors.” State agencies have helped to open nearly 2,000 local sites and “continue to identify places of worship and other locations in underserved communities.”
Yet the Florida Department of Health just stopped providing Orange County with vaccination rates by ZIP code. County officials had used the information to target their vaccine campaign. The state cut off the data after those officials released it to news organizations.
That action continues a pattern. Since the pandemic began, the DeSantis administration has sought to conceal information. The public didn’t get early data about cases in nursing homes and schools. Only a lawsuit forced the release of reports from the White House Coronavirus Task Force — under Donald Trump — that recommended stricter mitigation than DeSantis had ordered.
More recent, the governor’s office initially billed the Fort Myers News Press $13,000 for records related to pop-up vaccination sites. The paper’s reporting showed that wealthier seniors got vaccinated much sooner than poorer ones.
The answer from DeSantis’ office on how the pandemic ends was a non-answer. Meanwhile, the governor will scout locations for a 2024 presidential campaign with a visit to Pennsylvania.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that outdoor mask wearing is not necessary — if you’re vaccinated and avoid crowds. The CDC said schools can open safely — if students and staff wear masks.
The groups most lagging on vaccinations are minorities and white Republican men. DeSantis hasn’t cared much about the first group. The second includes core Trump voters whom DeSantis refuses to confront. Example: His attempt to ban vaccination passports.
As long as COVID-19 stays on medium-to-high flame, this state won’t have full recovery, no matter how hot the real estate market. The pandemic ends in Florida when vaccinations go way up and cases go way down. Why is the governor making it so hard?