Meanwhile, DeSantis is in the green with an approval rating of 54%. As of February 2nd, Newsom’s approval rating rests at 46%, a sharp drop from September’s rating of 64%. While Governor Newsom keeps his state at a high level of lockdowns despite glaring consequences, Californians are becoming increasingly irate as they sign a petition for a recall against him. Not only does this have important implications for how policy influences human behavior, the data also shows that Floridians are more comfortable moving around in their state, which could be attributed to reliable information about Covid or higher risk tolerance among the population. This data indicates that Florida residents are more mobile than Californians and are thus generating more economic activity within the state. Between April and June 2020 and November 2020 up to now, Florida evidently experienced more movement. The graph below specifically looks at travel to retail and recreation locations, which ultimately is telling. Mobility may also indicate some level of economic activity by showing the degree of movement made by residents through cell phone data.

Florida conversely attracts movers for having no income tax, low housing prices, and agreeable climate. While these migration patterns follow previous 2019 moving trends, lockdown policies still might play into other factors for why people are leaving California, including taxes, cost of living, and affordable housing. According to 2020 data collected from two moving companies ( U-Haul and United Van Lines), Florida is among the top states for inbound migration, and California ranks high for outbound migration. During the summer of 2020, cases and deaths spiked higher in Florida, but the course switched from November through January as cases and deaths peaked in California.Īnother revealing factor is inbound and outbound migration. In total, California experienced more cases per 100,000 people, while Florida had more deaths per 100,000 people. The two governors are polar opposites in how they handle Covid, but their outcomes are peculiarly similar. While the media labels California Governor Newsom a “ lockdown fanatic” for his authoritarian approach, they call Florida Governor DeSantis “ DeathSantis” for being too relaxed.

All of these details point to Florida’s current stringency score being low at 33.8 compared to California’s 58.8.

Meanwhile, Florida’s schools are all open for in-person instruction, statewide restrictions do not exist for restaurants, and there is no travel quarantine implemented by the state. In California, virtually all public schools are closed, restaurants must follow unwavering capacity limits, travelers must quarantine for ten days, and on the list goes. Florida operates on close to zero pandemic-related restrictions whereas California maintains strict lockdown policies. Florida and California are remarkably similar for their warm climates, beaches, tourist destinations, immigrant populations, and more, but both states could not be more different with respect to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

California on total lockdown