Resisting pleas by some of his mayors to introduce statewide measures to fight COVID-19 with mask mandates and local restrictions, Florida’s governor boasted on November 30, 2020, “The states that are locked down are increasing at twice the rate we are.” That boast has come back to taunt Ron DeSantis as, just a day after it recorded the most new daily cases since the start of the pandemic, Florida on Sunday broke its previous record for current hospitalizations set over a year ago.

The Sunshine State had 10,207 people hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to data reported to the US Department of Health & Human Services.

The previous record was from July 23, 2020, more than a half-year before vaccinations started becoming widespread. Florida then had 10,170 hospitalizations, according to the Florida Hospital Association.

Florida is now leading the nation in per capita hospitalizations for COVID-19, as hospitals around the state report having to put emergency room visitors in beds in hallways and others document a noticeable drop in the age of patients.

Last week, Florida averaged 1,525 adult hospitalizations a day, and 35 daily pediatric hospitalizations. Both are the highest per capita rate in the nation, according to Jason Salemi, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida.

DeSantis has blamed the surge on a seasonal increase – suggesting that more Floridians are indoors because of the hot weather with air conditioning circulating the virus. About 60% of Floridians 12 and older are vaccinated, ranking it about midway among the states.

Meanwhile, DeSantis continues to resist mandatory mask mandates and vaccine requirements, and together with the state Legislature, has limited he ability of local officials’ to impose restrictions to try and stop the spread of COVID-19 and on Friday barred school districts from requiring students to wear masks when classes resume next month.