Florida’s COVID-19 hospitalization record was broken on Tuesday for the third day in a row as the state struggles with the delta variant.
There are more than 11,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients in Florida, with around 2,400 in intensive care, The Associated Press reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) addressed the latest rise in COVID-19 cases in a press conference Tuesday, emphasizing that the number of deaths from the virus is still down in the state.
“Even among a lot of positive tests, you are seeing much less mortality that you did year-over-year,” DeSantis said. “Would I rather have 5,000 cases among 20-year-olds or 500 cases among seniors? I would rather have the younger.”
The governor reiterated the state would not shut down again due to the rise in cases but that individuals should get vaccinated.
“We are not shutting down,” he said. “We are going to have schools open. We are protecting every Floridian’s job in this state. We are protecting people’s small businesses. These interventions have failed time and time again throughout this pandemic, not just in the United States but abroad. They have not stopped the spread, particularly with delta.”
DeSantis has been against coronavirus lockdown measures for much of the pandemic, with Florida standing as one of the first states to open back up.
He touted the vaccines, saying they have allowed for less-severe cases of the virus and have helped fight against the pandemic.
“You can still test positive, but at the end of the day you can turn this from something that was much more threatening to a senior citizen, say, to something that is more manageable,” he said. “That is a huge, huge thing.”