Florida reports more than 73,000 new COVID cases, a 60% increase over previous week

Twice this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shrugged off the new rise in cases as a “seasonal event.” He said he would not allow any new COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates, or lockdowns. However, he did encourage Floridians to get vaccinated: “If you are vaccinated, the number of people that end up hospitalized is almost zero. It’s incredibly, incredibly low,” he said.