The state also relied on a more targeted approach when it did shut down. DeSantis began by shutting down nursing homes and assisted living facilities and deferred to localities when it came to implementing restrictions. This approach gave hard-hit counties such as Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach the freedom to shut down businesses while allowing rural counties that had not been nearly as affected by the outbreak to operate under some sense of normalcy.

There are several other factors that contributed to Florida’s successful response, as well, including the state’s tropical climate, which some medical experts believe might help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It is also possible that Florida was “heavily seeded” back in January and/or February, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, which means Floridians might have developed some sort of herd immunity to the virus before the curve peaked.