TX, FL Report Fewer New Cases of Virus Per Capita Than Pro-Mask States MI, PA, and NY

Texas and Florida are continuing to report fewer new cases of the Chinese coronavirus per capita than blue states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Texas and Florida, two red states which remain open for business and do not have statewide mask mandates, are continuing to fare just as well, if not better, than pro-lockdown blue states, which continue to operate under health and business restrictions.

According to the CDC’s April 23 data, Michigan reported 449.2 cases of the virus per 100,000, or 44,862 total, in the last seven days. Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) Pennsylvania has reported 239.6 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days, or 30,678 total.

CDC data separates New York City from the rest of the state in its reporting of new virus case data. Even so, New York City alone has reported 208.1 new cases per 100,000 in the last seven days, or 17,475 cases total. The remainder of the state has reported 191.9 cases per 100,000, or 21,213 cases in the last seven days. Together, the state has reported 38,688 new cases in the last seven days.

All three blue states, which have mask mandates in place, are reporting a higher number of new cases per capita than both Texas and Florida, which remain open and have no mask mandates in place.

Texas reported 70.3 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days, or 20,374 total, while Florida has reported 195.5 cases per 100,000, or 41,993 total, in the same time frame.

Interestingly, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, went on a “personal trip” to Florida, which has remained open for months under Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) leadership, last month despite urging Michiganders to avoid spring break travel to the Sunshine State over concerns of coronavirus variants. She has since described the critiques as “maddening.”

“It was certainly not spring break,” Whitmer said. “I was doing both my job as governor from a distance and being that of a daughter who was helping out a parent who needed a little help.”

Her father reportedly owns property in West Palm Beach.

“It’s maddening,” she said. “A lot of these same people would accuse me of not having family values if I didn’t show up when a family member needed some help.”