‘If I was 25, I’d be probably with them’: Gov. DeSantis sends mixed messages on COVID-19 safety

As Florida blew past another record high in COVID-19 cases Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis urged young Floridians to comply with state and local social distancing guidelines.

“If you’re in some of the less risky demographics, in those younger demographics, you need to do your part and make sure that you’re not spreading it to people who are going to be more at risk for this,” DeSantis said.

Yet the Governor also empathized with those younger Floridians who continue to gather in violation of health and safety recommendations.

“People naturally want to do things. If I was 25, I’d be probably with them. I mean, that’s just realistic. I can sit here and try to act like I wouldn’t, but I remember what it was like then.”

DeSantis made the comments in South Florida as he signed legislation guaranteeing teacher pay raises across the state. He did so even as he conceded the recent rise in cases — more than 5,500 were reported Wednesday alone — was driven by younger Floridians.

“What we’re seeing in Florida is really rapid transmission in that 18-34 age group and you’re seeing a lot of cases come up.”

DeSantis demurred when reporters questioned whether he plans to issue a mandatory statewide mask order for those in public. The Governor said he prefers to stick to the current approach, allowing municipal governments to make those decisions.

“We’ve worked with the local folks,” DeSantis said.

“At the same time, there’s an enforcement that has to follow in that and we have a lot of places in Florida where that would not be a good use of resources.”

The Governor argued requiring law enforcement resources to be diverted to mask enforcement in rural counties wouldn’t make sense. He instead blamed the spread on lax regulation in larger metro areas, pointing to Miami-Dade County’s 10-person limit for gatherings.

“It’s been that way the whole time. They’re in Phase One,” DeSantis said. He then asked rhetorically, “Have you seen any gatherings in the last three weeks that have been more than 10 people?”

Such gatherings have been seen throughout the state even as some local governments keep strict social distancing requirements in effect. Last week, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez announced he would increase enforcement measures, though he argued the county maintains capability to handle the recent surge in cases.

Wednesday, DeSantis argued that additional statewide mandates would run into the same problems seen at the local level.

“Let’s just be real, you have what you can put out, but then you also have a divergence between what the requirements are and what the compliance is.”

The Governor instead again pushed Floridians to avoid crowded, cramped spaces.

“In Florida you know it’s hot, but that sunshine, heat and humidity is your friend,” DeSantis explained.

“If you’re cramped in with bad ventilation, you’re going to have more spread.”

The Governor also argued that increased hospital rates aren’t as dire as they may seem due to screening measures instituted for elective and other procedures.

“What hospitals have done is they’ve tested everybody that comes in for emergent procedures, elective procedures,” DeSantis said.

“And if those persons test positive, they actually show up in the health [stats] as COVID-hospitalized. But they really weren’t hospitalized for COVID. They were hospitalized with COVID. So it’s a little bit different from now when you look at it, compared to what we were looking at then.”

DeSantis said approximately 20% of those cases “are simply people who tested positive but are asymptomatic.”