Republican-led states including Texas and Florida are reporting fewer coronavirus cases than Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York -- all of which are led by prominent Democrats who refuse to roll back COVID-19 regulations and statewide mask mandates, according to CDC data.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was widely criticized by the left after he completely reversed the state's mandate on March 10 and fully reopened his state. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was also accused of endangering Florida residents when he allowed businesses to fully reopen in September without a mask mandate in place.
While both states managed to keep case positivity rates down and begin the long road to economic recovery, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan -- who are still bound to ongoing restrictions -- have led the daily increase in COVID-19 cases.
Together, New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey accounted for 44% of all new infections between March 29 and April 4 with about 197,500 cases out of around 452,000 seen nationwide, data from John Hopkins University show.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Michigan has faced worst-in-the-nation COVID-19 positivity rates in recent weeks. The state reported 390.2 cases of the virus per 100,000 in the last seven days. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has laid blame on spring break travelers going to Florida, urged residents returning from the Sunshine State to work from home for a week or have their children learn remotely for a week.
Pennsylvania saw a troubling surge in coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations this month, with health officials reporting 221.4 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days.
New York City has reported 206.1 cases per 100,000 in the last seven days. The rest of the Empire State accounted for 176.4 cases per 100,000 in the last week, CDC data shows. Despite this, New Yorkers are growing frustrated with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's ongoing mask mandate. The embroiled Democrat is currently under investigation for his handling of the pandemic in senior care facilities.
The Biden administration has repeatedly pushed for mask mandates across the country. President Biden slammed Texas for lifting their rules in March, calling it at the time "Neanderthal thinking," but the state has only seen a decline in cases and hospitalizations since then.
