Flrida better stop testing

Florida recorded more than 5,500 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, an all-time high that shattered the previous record set just last week.

Cases of the virus in Florida have been surging, and more than 109,000 infections have been reported in the state since March 1.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the new daily total broke the previous record high of 4,049 new cases, set just four days ago.

[...]

The upward trend has continued since the state began reopening businesses last month.

Just two weeks ago, Florida’s record for newly confirmed virus cases in a day was 1,601, set in mid-May. That has been exceeded every day since June 12.

  The Hill

Way to go, Florida.

As cases spike and hospitals become increasingly full, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also changed the metrics for reporting the number of people in intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

Under the new guidelines, hospitals will report only the COVID-19 patients who need the most intensive care.

The next best thing to stoping testing.

Previously, hospitals reported all COVID-19 patients in ICU beds, regardless of whether they needed critical care.

The new reporting guidelines will likely lower the number of occupied ICU beds — an important metric to ensure hospitals are not overwhelmed as the state pushes ahead with reopening.

How so? It will lower the number REPORTED, not the number in actual use.

The change likely will impact smaller hospitals, as they are more likely to use the ICU to isolate COVID-19 patients who are less sick, which means the ICU will appear emptier on paper.

[...]

During a press conference Tuesday, DeSantis said hospitals have been using their ICU wings as COVID-19 wings, so he wanted to verify reports that newer patients are not getting as sick as those who contracted the virus in the spring.

Jesus.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.