JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that the state set new tourism records in 2021, and he took a jab at lockdown-state Democrats who took maskless vacations in the state.
The governor’s office released statistics showing the Sunshine State last year welcomed 117.7 million visitors from all over the United States, which DeSantis officials said is a record number.
The increase was 7% in the final quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2019.
Visitors included Democratic government officials and other luminaries who have imposed or supported lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates in their own states, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.
Mr. Lamont spent Christmas in Florida after warning Connecticut residents in July to “skip Florida” due to the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat and outspoken mask and vaccine mandate advocate, was caught maskless in Miami over the Christmas holiday.
Mr. DeSantis has become known for pushing back against COVID-19 protocols and has fought both mask and vaccine mandates in his state through executive orders, new laws and court challenges.
He‘s fielded criticism from Democrats and health experts who say his policies have contributed to an increase in COVID transmissions, but the statistics have largely undercut those claims.
Florida’s new case positivity rate as of last week was 14.3%, according to state health officials, which falls somewhere in the middle among U.S. states.
State officials reported 195 new COVID-19-related deaths last week.
