Florida this week was tied for the lowest COVID-19 case rate in the United States, even though it does not have any state-wide masking or vaccine mandates, said Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office. “Without mandates or lockdowns, COVID-19 cases in Florida have decreased 90 percent since August,” DeSantis said in a Wednesday update. “In addition to cases, hospitalizations have plummeted in our state. This has been accomplished by making monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccines widely available throughout our state while protecting Floridians from government overreach.” Data provided by the Florida Department of Health shows that the state has nine cases per 100,000 people and is tied with Hawaii for being the state with the lowest case rate. U.S. territories such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands had lower case rates, while the United States average is 21 cases per 100,000 people, according to …