Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has urged residents of his state to take the coronavirus vaccine, despite being a virulent opponent of pandemic mitigation efforts like lockdowns and face mask mandates.

This week, Mr DeSantis called on Floridians to take the coronavirus vaccine.

"If you are vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero ... These vaccines are saving lives," he said during a press conference.

Coronavirus cases in the state have spiked over the past week, doubling among the state's unvaccinated population. An estimated one in five new Covid cases are coming out of Florida.

The announcement is a break from Mr DeSantis' usual resistance to coronavirus mitigation efforts.

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