Comparing New York and Florida's COVID Response

State and local governments are taking different approaches to handle COVID-19. Which is most effective?

Author

Editorial Team
February 07, 2021

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo maintained strict lockdowns. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the opposite route. Who was right?

As of February 8, 2021:

Even with the following state differences:

  • Florida has a larger population than New York.

  • Florida is disproportionately elderly (more at risk).

  • Florida's population is more concentrated in urban areas.

  • Florida is visited by more potentially infected tourists.

Cuomo's Plan: Lockdowns

Cuomo made a lot of bad decisions despite being given an Emmy for his "leadership".

One of his decisions included preventing nursing homes from denying admission to COVID-positive residents. Cuomo tried to cover it up, but at least 15,000 nursing home residents died as a result.

Cuomo finally lifted strict lockdowns on January 11, after destroying over a million jobs and one-third of small businesses. At one point, New Yorkers were forming mile-long lines in Queens for food.

Cuomo also added strict guidelines for who can get the vaccine, and when they could get it. It was a bureaucratic mess that left vaccines in the trash.

41 percent of voters believe Cuomo deserves another Term, and 47 percent said it's time to move on.

DeSantis' Plan: Freedom

While New York looked grim, Florida was thriving. Restaurants, schools, bars, and gatherings were all open without nonsensical restrictions.

Restaurants were operating at max capacity in Florida since September while New York was locked down. Florida's workers were working, New York's weren't.

DeSantis secured freedom through action. He passed multiple executive orders to prevent counties from enacting draconian policies.

None of this was without criticism. The MSM reported that his policies were killing people and preventing the vulnerable from getting vaccines.

But less people are dying in Florida than in New York, without sacrificing freedom.

"People vote with their feet, and they are flooding into this state, we have investment coming in... and so I think that there are the narratives that some of the corporate elite media tried to sell, people don’t buy it. And this is a perfect example. Because if people bought their narratives, you’d have people leaving here to go to the states that are supposedly doing so well." - Gov. DeSantis, RealClearPolitics

DeSantis's job approval is currently at 54 percent.