DeSantis remains a bystander as Florida becomes epicenter

While Gov. Ron DeSantis tries to explain away Florida’s COVID-19 surge, the canary in his coal mine is coughing.

The governor no doubt liked last week’s news that the state’s unemployment rate dropped in June, to 10.4 percent. That was down from 13.7 percent in May and reflected that month’s reopening of many businesses.

A day earlier, however, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that new unemployment claims in Florida more than doubled last week. That number reflected the new business closings caused by our unhappy distinction as the world’s COVID-19 epicenter.

As Florida reported a record one-day high of 15,300 new cases, Germany reported 159. Germany has four times as many people.

Germany, though, has a science-trained, truth-telling leader in Angela Merkel who has tied economic recovery to public health. Florida has a governor who has tied the state to a president who disdains science and lies about the failures of his pandemic response.

Similarly, DeSantis in the last week has begged for “context” in COVID-19 reporting. “Fear,” the governor said, “is the enemy.”

But even Trump, whose every cue DeSantis follows, incoherently acknowledged Florida’s crisis. The president has labeled states with rising numbers “burning embers.” What about Florida? “More flamelike,” Trump said.

One epidemiologist compared Florida now to Wuhan, China, six months ago. A biostatistics professor at the University of Florida said, “With Florida largely open for business, I don’t expect this surge to slow.” Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said, “We don’t want to become Florida.”

Wolf made that remark when he reimposed restrictions on restaurants to stop what he called an “unsettling climb” in case numbers. Wolf is a Democrat, but even Texas Gov. Greg Abbott – a rightwing Republican – could admit that he reopened too soon and impose a statewide mask order.

Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called Florida a “red zone” needing reopening rollbacks, the governor said he won’t go further than new rules for bars he already imposed. He only encourages Floridians to wear masks.

By the day, however, the numbers demonstrate the recklessness of DeSantis’ ideological intransigence.

As cases soared, the governor responded that hospitalizations and deaths weren’t rising proportionately. On Tuesday, Florida recorded 136 more deaths – near the recent record of 156. Hospitalizations set a record.

DeSantis also defended his indifference by claiming that the new spread affected only younger people, who are more resistant to the virus. In fact, infections at nursing homes and senior centers have increased 153 percent in the last three weeks.

New reporting by the Miami Herald shows that DeSantis used data selectively when he allowed reopening to begin in May. Though the Florida Department of Health showed that “community spread, regional outbreaks and death tolls were worse than he was suggesting,” he focused on the rate of positive tests.

At the time, it was well below 10 percent, the minimum threshold for safe reopening. As the rate rose, DeSantis dismissed the statistic. According to Covid Act Now, Florida’s current rate is 19 percent.

Not only has DeSantis refused to order mask wearing, which he called “coercive,” he has refused to stress what doing so means for public health. The Sun Sentinel quoted a Delray Beach night owl as saying, “The people who are out here at 11 are willing to take the risk of getting sick to be out here at 11.”

Actually, the mask protects others. Masks prevent the resurgent community spread that has closed restaurants after 11 p.m. and could close them much earlier if South Florida adopts tough curfews.

Which brings us back to DeSantis’ canary. The governor wants businesses to thrive. He wants students back on campus. So does everyone.

But he ignores science. Tom Inglesby is director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. If Florida and other states take harsher measures, “it will make it a lot easier for people to reengage the economy and get back to school. But if we let this disease run like it’s running now, all those things are in jeopardy.”

DeSantis has wasted valuable weeks holding scripted appearances at which he carries briefing books and tosses around terms like “co-morbidities.” Meanwhile, the disease keeps running in Florida – and winning.