DeSantis Responds to Increase in COVID-19 Cases: It’s a ‘Seasonal Virus’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside, Fla., on June 14, 2021. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has long touted his state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said that the recent increase in COVID-19 cases should be expected.

“It’s a seasonal virus and this is the seasonal pattern it follows in the Sun Belt states,” the Republican Florida governor told reporters at a press conference on Monday, adding that he expects cases to decline starting in August.