News of Florida topping 1 million coronavirus cases followed shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated his sharp disapproval of a statewide mask mandate and business closures.
The Florida Department of Health on Tuesday reported 8,632 cases from the day prior, tipping total infections past 1 million.
Florida has become the third state to report over 1 million cases, following Texas and California. At a briefing earlier this week, DeSantis denounced the idea of a statewide mask mandate when prompted by a reporter. “I’m opposed to mandates period, I don’t think they work,” the governor said. “People in Florida wear ‘em when you go out, they don’t have to be strung up by a bayonet to do it.