DeSantis won’t move on masks as Florida COVID wards swell
Associated PressFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday downplayed a spike in COVID-19 cases that’s shattered state hospitalization records and strongly reiterated his vow not to impose a mask mandate or any business restrictions. With the much more contagious delta variant now spreading exponentially, Florida hit 11,515 hospitalized patients Tuesday, breaking last year’s record for the third straight day and up from just 1,000 in mid-June. I would rather have the younger.” DeSantis also said “media hysteria” on the swelling numbers could cause people having heart attacks or strokes to avoid going to an emergency room for fear of being infected. “They’re just coming in faster than we discharge them,” said Justin Senior, CEO of Florida Safety Net Hospital Alliance, which represents some of the state’s largest hospitals caring for low-income patients.