For awhile, I thought about making my entire essay just those 2 words. After anyone read, “So, Florida. . .” they could pretty much write their own article. Could be the always fantastical “Florida Man” stories; could be the State’s penchant for screwing up national politics (look for it on November 3-5); or your thoughts might lean to Florida’s own brand of state and local swamp politics. Any of your choices, it’d be a great essay. But, no, I’m going to spend a little time this morning on Florida’s recent response to the Covid pandemic or lack thereof.

Last week, the Trump “mini-me” Governor of our fair state, Ron DeSenseless, spent the day with the Orange One at one of his mask-less, space-less, brain-less tribal gatherings. The day after returning, DeSenseless announced that Florida would essentially fully open. Restaurants could serve their patrons at 100% capacity, bars and other businesses would all be open and, as a final kicker, all penalties for failing to follow local ordinances on mask wearing would be null and void. These actions took his own staff by surprise (no announcement had been planned) and floored public health experts. Why do you think he would take such actions 40 days before a national election in a politically important swing state that is “up for grabs”? I don’t know, either.

Let’s put the Governor’s actions in a bit of context. The state currently averages over 3000 cases per day and over 100 deaths every day. Approximately 2500 Floridians are hospitalized with Covid daily and the latest positive test result ratio 7 day average shows about 11.5%. Even with the state showing a significant reduction in new case numbers from August until the present time, these numbers do not lead any rational being to suddenly “open everything up” and strong-arm the locally elected officials attempting to control a murderous, contagious disease ravaging their populations.

To make DeSenseless’s actions even more criminal, starting this month, the state of Florida annually begins a massive influx of short-term residents and vacationers. Florida’s population swells with older people for the next 6 months – the very people most at-risk for the most draconian impacts from this infection – serious illness, acute care utilization, hospitalizations, intensive care, and death.

The data tell us that crowding in indoor places, particularly bars and restaurants, is the major factor in the spread of this virus and in the resurgence that so many areas have suffered after they had controlled the first wave of infection. Florida should see a spiking of cases in about 3 weeks, followed by an alarming increase in cases among the older segments of the population, then hospitalizations, and, finally, deaths. No way around that scenario. It’s coming.

By his careless order and his sycophantic following of a narcissistic moron, Governor DeSenseless has set his people up for a scary Holloween, Fall, and Winter.

Stay Safe. Stay outside. Stay apart. Wear the mask.