In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott -- who had previously blocked local governments from requiring masks, and had been among the first to reopen businesses -- last week reversed himself and issued a mandate requiring masks in most of the state. The move came after he'd shut down all bars, limited restaurants to 50% capacity and halted elective surgeries in coronavirus hot-spots. In a video, he acknowledged what he said was "a stark reality: Covid-19 is not going away. In fact, it's getting worse."
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, like Abbott, has encouraged masks and social distancing. But unlike Abbott, he has refused to issue a statewide mandate, insisting that new action isn't necessary. He has wiped out funding for coronavirus treatment in prisons and for online learning services, while insisting schools will reopen in the fall. And he is downplaying the spike in cases in his state, saying that those contracting the virus are younger.
"There's no need to be fearful," DeSantis said Monday.
The governors of the two largest Republican-led states' response to the surge in cases in recent weeks showcases a split within the GOP over whether to follow President Donald Trump's lead as Trump expresses skepticism toward masks, holds campaign rallies that ignore social distancing guidelines, insists that schools must reopen in the fall and more.
Some veteran Republicans who have built their own political brands, like Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, enacted stricter guidelines in response to the pandemic than most of their GOP colleagues. Abbott, a second-term governor who has held statewide office since 2002, had previously hesitated to close businesses and mandate masks -- but changed his approach in recent days as case numbers soared.
But DeSantis, a first-term governor who needed Trump's help to eke out a narrow victory in 2018, has mirrored Trump's antagonism toward coronavirus-related restrictions, insisting this week that no further actions are needed even as his state has set records in cases and positivity rates in new tests in recent days.
Coronavirus cases have accelerated across much of the South and Southwest in recent weeks. Florida on Tuesday reported 7,347 coronavirus cases over the previous 24 hours, bringing the state's total to 213,773. Texas crossed the 200,000-case threshold on Monday -- just 17 days after it had reached 100,000 cases. The state reported 5,318 cases Monday, with public health officials there warning of significant increases in the coming days, and has seen 205,642 total.
DeSantis on Monday said the record-breaking spike in coronavirus cases across his state over the weekend, and its high positivity rates, are due in part to an increase in the number of tests performed -- an echo of Trump's frequent dismissal of the increasing number of coronavirus cases as being a product of more testing.
"There have been way more infections than documented cases,'' he said. "But it's not really evidence that it's more prevalent."
DeSan
