'Florida Rejecting Mask Mandates' Reports 21,000 New COVID-19 Cases in a Day

One in Five New COVID-19 Patients in the US... "New Epicenter of Corona"
Governor Bans Mandatory Mask Wearing for Students... Opposes Vaccine Mandate as Well

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] In Florida, USA, the COVID-19 Delta variant is spreading rapidly, resulting in more than 21,000 new cases in a single day.

On the 31st (local time), according to AP News and others, Florida reported this new infection status to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to data released by the CDC, Florida recorded 21,683 new cases as of the 30th. This is the highest number of new infections in Florida since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The previous record was 19,334 cases on January 7.

The positive test rate for COVID-19 was 18.1%, more than twice the national average of 7.8% in the United States.

In Florida, 409 people have died this week, bringing the total death toll to over 39,000.

AP News reported, "As the Delta variant spreads, Florida accounts for one-fifth of all new cases in the United States," adding, "Florida has become the new epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak."

The Florida Hospital Association has warned that hospitals have reached full capacity due to the spread of COVID-19. AdventHealth Central Florida, a major local medical institution, announced it will suspend other emergency surgeries to care for the influx of patients.

However, Ron DeSantis, the Republican frontrunner for the next presidential election and governor of Florida, has refused various quarantine guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19. He declared that he would not accept the CDC’s mask re-wearing recommendation announced this week and has not implemented mandatory vaccination for state employees. Although there are calls in local politics to declare a public health emergency, Governor DeSantis has also rejected this.

On the 30th, ahead of schools reopening next month, Governor DeSantis issued an administrative order leaving the decision on whether children wear masks to the discretion of their parents. After signing an administrative order banning mandatory mask-wearing, he held a press conference stating, "The federal government has no right to tell parents that their children must wear masks all day at school."

He further declared that he, his wife, and his children will continue not to wear masks.