FLORIDA has seen a huge drop in Covid-19 deaths and cases over the last three months, easing fears of a fourth wave and more lockdowns.
The state has seen a 24 percent decrease in new cases over the past two weeks, even with lax Covid restrictions and an influx of spring breakers.
Many feared that the Sunshine State’s relatively high level of a new Covid variant, first detected in England, would lead to a fourth wave of the virus.
Florida has recorded 690 cases of the new variant, higher than any other state in the nation, according to the latest CDC figures.
The state’s Gov Ron DeSantis has also pursued an aggressive re-opening plan, doing away with mask mandates and encouraging people to visit the state just as the spring break season is getting underway.
Still, fears of a new spike have not been realized yet, as both cases and deaths continue to fall in Florida.
As of Saturday afternoon, there had been nearly 2million cases of Covid documented in the state, and more than 32,000 deaths, according to the New York Times.
But Florida does appear to still be one of the state’s where cases are trending downwards.
Elsewhere, particularly in the North East, new cases seem to have plateaued at high levels after falling significantly in the weeks after the holiday season.
However, as Covid cases continue to trend downward country-wide, many governors across the US have eased lockdowns restrictions or have plans to do so in the coming weeks.
Several states have lifted mask mandates, or allowed local governments to decide whether or not they will require residents to wear masks in public.
DeSantis is reportedly considering limiting the power local governments have to impose the mandates in Florida, according to the Herald-Tribune.
States like Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Wyoming are relaxing some restrictions over the next week – like rules about indoor dining and limits on gatherings.
The positive news comes as vaccination efforts continue to ramp up across the country.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that every American adult should be eligible to sign up for a Covid vaccine by May 1.
Biden said there will be enough vaccine supply for all American adults by the end of May because of a partnership between two pharmaceutical competitors: Johnson & Johnson and Merck.
“We’ll have enough vaccine supply for all adults in America by the end of May – that’s months ahead of schedule,” Biden said.
“Look, we know what we need to do to beat this virus: tell the truth, follow the scientists, put faith in our government to do its most important function – protect the lives of the American people,” Biden said
As of Saturday afternoon, nearly 66million people in the US have received one dose of one of the three approved Covid-19 vaccines.
More than 35million people have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures from the CDC.
