Two of the most heavily locked-down cities in the United States are reporting the highest coronavirus cases per capita in the country, even despite the restrictive measures, according to Breitbart.
On Tuesday, the New York Times’ coronavirus tracker showed that the nation’s capital was the leading center of new cases, with approximately 279 per 100,000. New York City came in second with 175 cases per capita. This comes despite the fact that D.C. and New York have imposed some of the strictest measures in the entire country, including sweeping vaccine passport requirements, indoor mask mandates, and more.
Meanwhile, the state of Florida continues to report the lowest cases per capita of any state in the country, which has been directly attributed to its much more relaxed approach to the virus. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) was among the very first governors in the country to lift the mask mandate back in 2020, and has since actively sought to ban further mask and vaccine requirements at the local level, providing state support to any employees who are fired due to such mandates.
In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) recently demanded that all businesses force their staff and customers to either present proof of vaccination prior to entering or wear masks at all times, or else face inspections by state health officials; she conversely offered millions in state funds to counties and businesses that would comply with this new mandate. She also signed a bill into law making it a crime to have a fake vaccination card, punishable by up to one year in prison.
In D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D-D.C.) reinstated a citywide mask mandate, which is now set to last until at least January 31st, 2022, but could be extended further beyond that date. She also issued an order demanding that all “employees, contractors, interns, and grantees of D.C. government” get the vaccine and follow-up booster shots, declaring that they no longer have the option to submit regular test results instead of a vaccine.