across the u.s. with the worst of it in the nation s southern states like florida. we are seeing a much younger group of individuals who are hospitalized for covid in our intensive care units, on ventilators. these are healthy, young 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds. reporter: the sunshine state now sitting under a dark cloud of covid-19 milestones. there have been more than 17,000 covid-19 patients hospitalized in about six weeks amidst severe staffing shortages. florida s governor pushing floridians to undergo antibody treatments. it can reduce the risk of hospitalizations and deaths. this woman collapsing on the ground while waiting for an antibody treatment. i think this is probably the most significant thing we can do to keep people out of the hospital. reporter: but the governor doesn t support mask mandates. under his direction, the florida board of education ordering broward to allow mask opt-out
but still, some at a lauderdale county school board meeting wanting to make masks optional for kids. they re hurting our children. and these teachers that want to act like they have control of our children in dictating to them, no. reporter: texas governor greg abbott still battling covid-19 himself and a local mask mandate. the state s supreme court allowing local mask mandates, including those in schools, to remain in effect, at least for now. overnight, we heard from broward county public schools, saying they will keep their mask mandates in place despite the threats from the governor. boris, christi? nadia romero from miami, thank you so much. florida set a pandemic record for new cases last week. covid hospitalizations there nearly three times the national average. as schools reopen, the state s governor, ron desantis, is maintaining his hands-off approach.