Startling exodus to Florida accelerating despite NY reopening after COVID restrictionsBy Selim Algar
May 24, 2022
New York has fully reopened after the strict restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic — but migration from the Empire State to Florida has accelerated this year, according to new data.
A total of 21,546 New Yorkers swapped their driver’s licenses for the Sunshine State version during the first four months of this year — a 12% increase from the same period in 2021.
The 2022 totals are 55% higher than the first four months of the last pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Mayor Eric Adams has speculated that the Florida exodus would wane — and that some evacuees would return — once the city reopened.
Hizzoner has addressed the Florida drain directly and even launched billboards in the state to coax erstwhile Gothamites back to their city of origin.
But the end of COVID-19 restrictions and the return of full-time schooling have so far failed to stem the outward tide to cities like Miami, Palm Beach and Jacksonville, according to data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety.
A total of 61,728 New York state residents switched to Florida licenses last year — a figure that will be surpassed in 2022 if current trends persist.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/05/24/flight-to-florida-is-still-accelerating-despite-ny-covid-19-reopening-push/
