
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he won’t close the state’s gyms, claiming a healthy lifestyle will put people at lower risk for developing severe cases of coronavirus.
“If you are good shape you have a very, very low likelihood of ending up in significant condition as a result of the coronavirus," DeSantis said during an afternoon news conference in Apopka, Florida.
Remember: Coronavirus has more severe outcomes on older people, Blacks and Hispanics, and people with underlying health conditions, according to demographic data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But health officials are warning that a rise in younger people testing positive for coronavirus will hit vulnerable populations.
As the number of coronavirus cases climb in Florida, DeSantis today said 21% of the state’s hospital beds remain available. The governor said that number is actually higher than the number of beds available in the state in March of this year.
Additionally, DeSantis said he has been told by the White House that a new shipment of Remdesivir is being expedited to state. He says he hopes the shipment of the coronavirus treatment drug will be delivered by this weekend.
The governor lauded the state’s test capacity, saying Florida is currently testing more than 100,000 people a day.
He went on to say that the state’s positivity rate has stabilized and even declined. DeSantis says the state’s positivity rate is currently at about 12-13%.
Some background: DeSantis' comments come as the state averages just over 55 cases per 100,000 people, according to an analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. For five consecutive days, Florida has led the nation in coronavirus cases per capita.
Florida took over the top spot from Arizona on Monday. Arizona — which had held the top spot for over a month — dropped to third, behind Louisiana.