The Data Proves It: Florida’s COVID Response Was Superior To New York And California

As the Daily Wire reported, “On Monday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris, arriving in Florida, implied that the state of Florida needed her help, tweeting, ‘Hey Florida! Help is Here.’”

Hey Florida! Help is Here. pic.twitter.com/XYt2NVUxs4

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 22, 2021

As the New York Times puts it, “Harris Visits Florida to Sell Stimulus Package in a Republican-Led State,” adding that “The vice president urged Americans to get vaccinated and promoted programs like food assistance as the administration seeks to build public support amid partisan divisions in Washington.”

“I’m here to emphasize the importance of vaccinations and getting the vaccine,” Harris told reporters in Jacksonville. “One thing is for sure, if you get vaccinated when it’s your turn, you are much more likely to avoid contracting COVID.”

This visit is part of a larger pattern of behavior from the Democrats and their comrades in the legacy media, which is the attempt to paint Florida as a failed state when it comes to COVID-19, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis the true villain of the pandemic.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and the data proves it. Here is a breakdown of the key comparisons between Florida and other Democrat states whose policies were disastrous during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Population size

According to 2019 data from the United States Census Bureau, Florida is among the country’s most populous states, with almost 21.5 million residents. 

Compared to other populous states, however, Florida has the largest proportion of elderly residents, with almost 4.5 million people aged 65 years and over, meaning that almost 21% of Florida’s population is considered high-risk for COVID-19 based on age alone.

In New York, for example, only 17% of the population is aged 65 years and over, with California just under 15%, and New Jersey at 16.6%.

According to the CDC, those aged 65 years and above are most at risk when it comes to hospitalization or death due to COVID-19. Those between the ages of 65 and 74 are 35 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to 5-17-year-olds. Those between the ages of 75 and 84 are 55 times more likely to be hospitalized. Those aged 85 and above are 80 times more likely to be hospitalized.

The likelihood of death due to COVID-19 compared to 5-17-year-olds also rapidly increases for older age groups. Those between 65 and 75-years-old are 1,100 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than 5-17-year-olds. Those between 75 and 84-years-old are 2,800 times more likely to die from COVID-19, and those aged 85 and older are 7,900 times more likely to die.

Cases

In terms of raw count, Florida has 2.01 million reported cases of COVID-19. This places them third in the nation, with California having 3.65 million cases and Texas having 2.76 million cases.

However, when we adjust for population size — as we must to fairly compare any two states — the ranking changes. Florida has 9,178 cases per 100,000 in population, while New York City alone has 9,560 cases per 100,000 in population, with New York State (excluding New York City) having 8,944 cases per 100,000 in population. New Jersey also has 9,749 cases per 100,000 in population. 

In fact, Florida is ranked 30th (29th if we exclude New York City) in terms of case rate per 100,000 people. North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Tennessee, Arizona, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Carolina, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Indiana, Idaho, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, Montana, Illinois, Wyoming, New York City, Delaware, Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Missouri all have a higher case rate per 100,000 people than Florida.

Deaths

In terms of raw count, Florida has 32,778 deaths from COVID-19. This places them fourth in the nation, with California having 57,744 deaths, New York having 48,959 deaths, and Texas having 47,616 deaths.

When we adjust for population size, the ranking changes again. Florida has 152 deaths per 100,000  in population. New York City alone has 365 deaths per 100,000 in population, while New York (excluding New York City) has 168 deaths per 100,000 in population. New Jersey has 272 deaths per 100,000 in population, and Illinois has 184 deaths per 100,000 in population. 

In comparison, 26 states have a higher death rate than Florida. New York City, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Arizona, Connecticut, South Dakota, Louisiana, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Illinois, Arkansas, Iowa, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, New York, Nevada, Kansas, Texas, Delaware and Ohio all ranked higher than Florida.

Vaccines

According to the CDC, a total of 83,930,495 people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. This amounts to 25.3% of the total population. 45,533,962 have been fully vaccinated, amounting to 13.7% of the population.

Florida has administered a total of 8,250,717 doses, with a rate of 38,415 doses administered per 100,000 in population. This is more than Texas (33,954 doses administered per 100,000 in population), and just behind California (38,846 doses administered per 100,000 in population).

However, Florida is ahead of multiple states when it comes to the vaccination of those 65 years and older — the highest risk category for serious outcomes due to COVID-19. In this age category, Florida has a rate of 124,816 doses administered per 100,000 in population. In California, that rate is 120,215. In New York, it is 94,193. In Pennsylvania, it is 100,433. In New Jersey, it is 97,788.

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The fact is that the data indicates that Florida’s COVID-19 response has been noticeably better than that of other large Democratic-run states. Florida is one of the most populous states in the country, with the largest proportional elderly population — with age being a high risk category for serious or deadly COVID-19 outcomes — and yet still ranks 29th in terms of case rate and 26th in terms of death rate. 

Not only was Florida’s response superior, their vaccination strategy is also successful when we consider the undeniable fact that older populations are more at risk. Florida is outperforming California, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey when it comes to immunizing those who need the vaccine most.

So why is Kamala Harris arriving in Florida to “save the day,” when the day was saved by DeSantis long ago? Good question.

Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @ighaworth.

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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