The unspoken secret about reports concerning Florida’s bad COVID numbers — they are in line with many states.

The state of Florida, and Governor Ron DeSantis, have been at the forefront of the press and media headlines for months now. The current spike in cases, a result of the pernicious Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has been especially active coming out of the summer months. The challenges being experienced have been blared in the press, blame has been cast about, and every accusation has been leveled to gain political points.

To explain what the press is up to, it is time to take a look at some officially recorded data, in order to glean what might be taking place. When you begin to analyze some of the results of specific collected statewide data yes, we can note some troubling trends. The details are indeed alarming when you see them.

Hospitalizations could peak over the course of next week. They’re higher than ever before. Hospitals are full and have been for several weeks. That isn’t going to change any time soon. “This is the exact place that we were trying to avoid, with 1,200 hospitalizations, and nearly all hospital systems feeling overwhelmed or having to postpone or cancel other types of care. This is what we were trying to avoid. We are in that crisis,” said Dr. Peter Graven

Very serious reports, to be sure, but there is a hidden secret in this from the press. They are barely reporting on it. What I mean is that the above information is not being covered nationally, as this report is from a local newspaper. The reason is those were details not from Florida, but from the state of Oregon. Yes, cue record scratch on the soundtrack.

This would be the time to ask ourselves a rhetorical: Why is there not a repetitive sounding of an alarm about what is happening in that state? It becomes obvious very quickly — politics. The news industry, which constantly strives to say we should not politicize the pandemic, seems awfully apathetic about the grave and serious conditions taking place in Oregon. 

Look again at those reports and they have a very familiar feel to what we have been hearing taking place in Florida. But we are not hearing about them. If the press were in fact interested in delivering sober and helpful information about the pandemic why is there this need to do so with a political agenda? Is it as simple that Oregon is a deeply blue state, and alarming COVID results would fly directly against the headwinds of the developed media narrative? The answer is more than just possibly.

How is it that a state across the map is also experiencing similar results of the surge? How do you explain that with all the charges aimed at Ron DeSantis about his lax policies that another state taking all of the proper and approved actions deliver the same results? And why is there this dichotomy in the reporting?

When it comes to vaccinations Florida and Oregon sport similarities. First-dose numbers are nearly identical (64.4% in Florida, 64.5% in Oregon), and the doses-per 100 people are similar as well (Florida 117.5, to Oregon 118.92). In fact, Oregon is slightly better with fully vaccinated residents — just over 5% better. All of which did nothing to curtail the spread and now inundates Oregon hospitals. 

Now take that figure and couple it with the state regulations they have in place. Governor Kate Brown has required vaccines for healthcare workers, teachers, and government employees. She is also instituting a stricter masking policy, becoming the first state to reinstitute a full outdoor mask policy. That involves everyone 5 years of age and older, and includes those who are vaccinated.

And now we can see why there is such a muted concern for the residents of her state in the national media complex. On July 1, Oregon had 120 positive COVID cases, and two months later that spiked to 2,800. While the numbers do not compare, the activity is nearly identical. What is being seen is the same seasonal jump that was experienced in August of 2020. A media complex interested in the facts would be noting this is hardly an isolated activity in a lone state due to governmental policy. 

Look how states in various parts of the country all experienced an almost uniform spike in cases, despite varying policies between them.

The spikes are uniform, is the point. Pretending Florida is unique is pure political gameplay. pic.twitter.com/y1Dnu1b0F6

— Brad Slager – Focused On Lasers (@MartiniShark) August 14, 2021

There is no better illustration that the country is enduring this wave — and it is not at the hands of select GOP governors — than the state of Hawaii. Democrat-run, adhering to strict COVID policies, and geographically socially distanced from those infectious Republicans, and yet the state is experiencing a Delta rise in cases that mirrors much of the country.

Did Hawaii adopt the wrongheaded policies of Florida???
How else is the state thousands of miles from the mainland and instituting strict masking policies seeing the same spike in cases this month…as is a dozen other states.
DAMMIT DESANTIS!!! pic.twitter.com/kK1YbgVmLE

— Brad Slager – Focused On Lasers (@MartiniShark) September 7, 2021

Noteworthy that — like Oregon — there is barely anything heard about the island state. Once again, the press narrative they are driving about politicians fueling this new outbreak gets undone by what the press is not reporting.