For at least the last couple of days Florida has led the nation in new Covid cases, new Covid deaths, and in Covid hospitalizations. Yesterday Florida reported over 12,600 new Covid cases, almost double the next closest state (California). Yesterday Florida reported 86 Covid deaths, more than double the next closest state (Texas) and a quarter of all Covid deaths yesterday in the United States.
The horrible tragedy is that nearly all (if not all) of these deaths were preventable. These people died because they chose to not get vaccinated. A big part of the reason they chose to not get vaccinated are lies and disinformation about vaccines promulgated by conservative politicians, on conservative media outlets, and on social media.
The head of a major South Florida hospital system was just on the local NPR station stating that effectively all the Covid deaths they have seen since June are of unvaccinated people. He said his system has about 145 Covid patients in the hospital now (which is overwhelming them). Of those 95% are completely unvaccinated. Of the remaining 5% most are only partially vaccinated.
These rising deaths and hospitalizations are a preventable tragedy given to us by a corrupt and sick political ideology that perversely claims to be “pro-life.” They lie about masks, they lie about vaccines, and it is killing people.
The only solace is that it is mostly killing people like them.
