I've read Letters to the Editor (LTEs) praising Governor DeSantis for his valiant efforts thwarting mask and vaccination mandates, and that Florida is doing pretty well with regard to COVID cases and deaths.
One LTE by Frederick Clark (Feb 6th) was happy that Florida ranked only 18th in COVID deaths amongst our 50 states plus Washington DC (see WorldoMeter per capita ranking). To be clear, 33 others (states and DC) had a lower per capita death rate. Thus, Florida's poor ranking is not something to boast about.
If we look at the per capita COVID cases (not just deaths), which is a more relevant statistic with regard to the impact of eliminating mandates, Florida ranks 8th out of 51; significantly worse. Even California, a more populace state, ranks far better at 39th. For those who are curious, New York ranks 18th, despite densely populated NYC.
So, perhaps Mr. Clark would like to explain again why we should be happy with how Governor DeSantis is handling COVID. Seems to me the facts are clear: Governor DeSantis is doing a terrible job and a disservice to Floridians by banning mask and vaccination mandates.
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