Florida Sets Coronavirus Death Record, Hours After Gov. DeSantis Said State Had ‘Stabilized’

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/07/14/florida-sets-coronavirus-death-record-hours-after-gov-desantis-said-state-had-stabilized/#558dd94fd5aa

Nicholas Reimann Forbes Staff
Updated Jul 14, 2020, 02:10pm EDT

Florida set a new record for coronavirus deaths Tuesday, one of several metrics that show the state’s coronavirus crisis is still getting worse, even as Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed at a news conference Monday afternoon that the state’s situation had “stabilized.”

•••••

Florida is now one of the main contributors to the surge in U.S. cases, and new cases in the state are surpassing even what New York had reported at the pandemic’s height there in March and April. The state was one of the most aggressive in its economic reopening, but all bars in Florida have been ordered to close once again. Unlike many other states with a spike in cases, though, DeSantis has not mandated mask-wearing statewide and ignored questions about a mask mandate at the news conference Monday.

•••••