Florida has reported 37,439 positive coronavirus cases and 1,471 deaths, ranking it eighth in the U.S. for the number of confirmed cases despite being the nation’s third most populated state.
Most of the Sunshine State entered its first phase of reopening on Monday, with restaurants, retail stores and museums allowed to operate at no more 25 percent capacity with social distancing restrictions.
Experts say there are a variety of reasons, including individual willingness to self-quarantine, that could explain why the state appears to have avoided being hit harder by the virus.
“Many older people self-quarantined before being told to do so by the governor,” said Laurence Barton, a crisis management and public safety professor at the University of Central Florida. “That decision by an older population may have well saved, in my opinion, tens of thousands of lives.”
Read more at The Hill.
{Matzav.com}
A lot of my neighbors from Brooklyn just went to Orlando and they say it’s full of New Yorkers. I hope for Florida it stays safe.
Yeah, I heard same – entire large extended families renting poolside mansion villas cheap on $39 flights. Can anyone explain the rationale here?
It’s the climate!
When one considers two additional factors — that the state has the second-highest percentage of elderly (and therefore more vulnerable) residents and the number of people that came to the state from the most affected regions (NY, NJ) during the crisis, you have to admit that Florida has done an exceptional job of handling the pandemic, especially compared to New York which has managed to bungle things at every turn. Gov Cuomo? More like Clouseau. DeBlasio? Just a Blowhardio.
Well we’d like to keep it this way!
For everyone for whom Florida represents their well-deserved vacation because they can’t handle quarantine anymore, please consider that those of us who actually live and work in Florida are STILL trying to be careful. Please just give it a little longer before you come and visit us down here.