But the state's relatively low per capita death toll may be higher than the official figures. If these were caused by Covid, that would mean that instead of the 33,338 deaths currently recorded on the state health department's website, Florida's death toll is closer to 50,000. At this point, countless modeling studies have suggested that earlier lockdowns and more widespread mask-wearing would have prevented countless Covid deaths. All of this, however, assumes that a COVID-19 death is counted the same way everywhere. These loose rules were the reason that the author of the recent report on Florida's excess deaths wanted to investigate, but his conclusions don't confirm any foul play.

Source: The Nation March 30, 2021 23:03 UTC