Delta Ravages States Like Florida That Emphasized Freedom Over Safety

Politico: Delta Variant Sweeps Through States That Dialed Back Health Powers 
The Delta strain of the coronavirus is racing across the country, driving a surge of new cases and hospitalizations. But local and state officials this time have fewer options to slow the spread. In Texas, where Covid hospitalizations are up 30 percent and deaths up 10 percent over the past week, Gov. Greg Abbott recently barred counties, cities and school districts from requiring masks. Montana did the same for vaccine and mask mandates, while letting local officials overrule health department orders. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose state accounts for one in five of new U.S. infections, asserted power to nix local health orders if he concludes they infringe on individual rights. (Ollstein and Goldberg, 7/22)

USA Today: Three States Have Contributed To Over 40% Of New COVID Cases
As the number of COVID-19 cases across the country is rising, three states have contributed to over 40% of all recent positive cases, according to the White House on Thursday. White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Florida, Texas and Missouri were contributing the highest number of cases, with Florida accounting for one in five positive cases for the second week in a row. Those states also have some of the lowest rates of vaccination, Zients said, adding that "within communities, these cases are primarily among unvaccinated people." (Santucci, 7/23)

In more covid news from Florida —

The Hill: Florida Reports Highest Daily COVID-19 Cases Since January
Florida on Wednesday reported 12,647 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily number of cases since late January, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The last time that Florida topped this number was Jan. 30, when it logged 14,654 cases. The U.S. registered 55,132 cases on Wednesday, meaning that Florida’s daily count made up about 23 percent of new cases reported by the CDC for that day. (Vakil, 7/22)

The Hill: Florida AG Tests Positive For COVID-19 
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) announced Wednesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19, following a trip she made with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and others to the southern border of Texas last weekend. Moody said in a tweet on Wednesday that she had already received the vaccine. (Vakil, 7/22)

WMFE: DeSantis Says Florida Won't Enforce Masks, Lockdowns As Cases Surge 
Gov. Ron DeSantis says there won’t be another round of mask mandates at public schools in Florida this fall, even as cases surge in the state. DeSantis’ comments came Thursday at a news conference at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, where he introduced a program that will send free books home to elementary school children. The governor says some schools used face masks during the previous school year while others didn’t with similar results, which is why most districts in the state won’t require them this August. (Prieur, 7/22)

The Hill: Psaki: Florida Schools Not Having Mask Mandate 'Would Be Greatly Concerning' 
White House press secretary Jen Psaki pushed back on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) comments that there will be no mask mandates in Florida schools, saying it's "concerning" because no one under the age of 12 is vaccinated. “If I were a parent in Florida, that would be greatly concerning to me because kids under the age of 12 are not vaccinated. They’re not eligible yet,” Psaki said. (Gangitano, 7/22)

WUSF Public Media: Physicians Blast DeSantis Over Handling Of COVID-19 
Gov. Ron DeSantis has drawn national attention for bucking federal health-care officials over the handling of the coronavirus, but a group of Florida physicians said Thursday the governor’s push to reopen the state and block precautions are a main reason for a sharp increase in the number of residents suffering from COVID-19. Dr. Bernard Ashby, a Miami cardiologist and leader of the Florida chapter of the Committee to Protect Health Care, said DeSantis should spend more time talking to people about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and less time attacking federal infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci in hopes of scoring political points. (Sexton, 7/22)

Health News Florida: Falling Immunization Numbers Amid Pandemic May Threaten Children’s School Year
When it was time for Carolina Alborada to take her two children to their annual check-up in May of last year, she opted to stay home. “My fear was that my husband and my children would contract the virus,” Alborada said. “That’s why I decided to skip the other vaccines.” The Volusia County resident preferred to keep her 2- and 4-year-old kids at home, reasoning she’d rather protect her family from an unknown virus than give them preventive vaccinations. (Angel, 7/22)