Rep. Waltz on uptick in Florida COVID-19 cases: 'The left keeps moving the goalposts'

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Rep. Waltz on new COVID-19 data: 'The left keeps moving the goal posts'

Rep. Michael Waltz provides insight on new data coming out of Florida that shows an increase in coronavirus cases

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., said on Monday that while the media is “breathlessly” covering the uptick of coronavirus cases in Florida, they should instead focus on hospitalizations and fatalities.

“There are a number of reasons for that increase. Mainly, increase in testing,” the member of the House Armed Services Committee told “Fox & Friends.”

FAUCI: 'NIGHTMARE' CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IS FAR FROM OVER

New cases of the novel coronavirus broke single-day records in Florida and South Carolina on Thursday, according to health officials.

The Florida Department of Health confirmed 1,698 additional cases of COVID-19 within the preceding 24 hours, nearly a 20 percent increase from the state's previous high of 1,419 reported last Thursday.

Health officials in Florida have now confirmed at least 966 new positive cases every day since June 3, which comes after the state began its reopening process last month. Florida has more than 67,456 total coronavirus cases and at least 2,848 deaths, according to the department.

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Waltz said that the left “keeps moving the goalposts” on reopening the economy, recalling that the original goal was to “flatten the curve,” make sure hospital capacity was preserved and ramp up on personal protective equipment for medical workers.

“The other thing the media does [is] they treat all of Florida like it is south Florida and since this entire pandemic, south Florida has had five times the death rate of north Florida. Completely different experience up here,” said Waltz, who represents the Jacksonville area.

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“The whole goal of the shutdown was to flatten the curve. Open up hospital capacity and to get that PPE and to get that other equipment in place. That is absolutely in place now and we just cannot go back to another shutdown.”