(CNN/WFLA) – Florida now has more coronavirus cases than the state of New York.
New York City was once considered the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. But now, according to the Florida Department of Health, the state has more than 414,000 coronavirus cases.
Currently, Florida has reported 414,511 total cases and New York has reported 411,200 cases.
The numbers include residents and non-residents that have been diagnosed since the start of the pandemic.
In late March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order which required anyone coming to Florida from “areas with substantial community spread” to self-isolate for 14 days. The executive order specifically names the New York tri-state area, which includes New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The following month, DeSantis stated the state has “flattened the curve.”
“We have the most vulnerable population in the country. That’s why people said we were going to be worse than New York. That is why people said we were going to be worse than Italy. We obviously moved very early to protect those populations.”
At the beginning of May, DeSantis initiated the first phase of reopening the state.
Two months later, Gov. DeSantis addressed questions over the accuracy and transparency of Florida’s data to members of the media. He pointed out that Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force has talked multiple times about how Florida has the best data.
“Any insinuation otherwise is just typical partisan narrative trying to be spun,” he told reporters. “And part of the reason is you’ve got a lot of people in your profession who waxed poetically for weeks and weeks about how Florida was going to be just like New York.”
A month prior to Florida surpassing New York in total confirmed coronavirus cases, state officials in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut put a travel advisory in place for people coming from areas with high rates of coronavirus, including the State of Florida.
On July 12, Florida shattered the national record for the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any state since the beginning of the pandemic, adding more than 15,000 cases.
Currently, California leads the nation with the most COVID-19 cases with 446,152 total cases.
LATEST NEWS FROM WFLA.COM:
