TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis lashed out at the media on Tuesday, accusing news organizations of engaging in “hysteria” over the new surge in coronavirus infections.

DeSantis claimed that the situation in Florida was not as bad as last year because the state had prioritized getting older residents vaccinated and the mortality rate in the state, primarily among senior citizens, has dropped. But Florida has become one of the worst states in the nation for infections, with more than 11,500 hospitalizations reported Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“At the end of the day would I rather have 5,000 cases among 20 years or 500 cases among seniors? I would rather have the younger,” DeSantis said during a Miami press conference on the state’s Everglades restoration efforts.

While multiple media outlets across the state have reported that hospitals are limiting visits and canceling elective procedures due to the surge, DeSantis declared “our hospitals are open.” He said while some hospitals have seen higher admissions, there were others including the main public hospital in Miami that had not reached the highs of last year.

Instead DeSantis directed his ire at the media, saying they were too focused on case counts and that their reporting could lead to Floridians deciding to forego needed medical procedures.

“Obviously the media does hysteria, you try to fear monger,” he said.

DeSantis has consistently criticized the media while also downplaying the severity of the recent coronavirus spike. Florida now leads the nation in new infections, making up roughly one in five cases in America. Despite the increase, DeSantis has prevented cities and school districts from implementing mask mandates or other Covid restrictions.

Democratic elected officials — as well as White House press secretary Jen Psaki — have contended that DeSantis’ reaction is based more on politics. The Republican governor has seen his status as a 2024 presidential contender rise as he touted his “Freedom over Faucism” approach to the pandemic that has been critical of federal health authorities while resisting mask mandates and lockdowns.

When asked about Florida on Monday, Psaki said the federal government was willing to help but contended the state could be doing more, such as allowing mask mandates to be put in place.

“So at a certain point, leaders are going to have to choose whether they’re going to follow public health guidelines or whether they’re going to follow politics, and we certainly encourage all governors to follow the public health guidelines," Psaki said.

Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for DeSantis, said that Psaki had mischaracterized the governor’s record, noting he had actively promoted vaccinations earlier this year. She also pointed out that the students can wear masks in schools, but that it’s up their parents. In an email Pushaw retorted that “by dismissively ignoring Governor DeSantis’ efforts to protect vulnerable Floridians, Psaki is the one playing politics with the pandemic.”

Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, who is challenging DeSantis for governor, on Tuesday called on DeSantis to take stronger steps to make sure that Florida's more than 100,000 state workers are vaccinated. He said that state employees should either get shots or be required to be tested weekly.

"I’m calling on the Governor to immediately require that our state employees be vaccinated or if they choose not to, be regularly tested and wear a mask indoors," said Crist in a statement. "If Disney, Walmart, and our military can do it, our state government can as well. The fact of the matter is that there is no reason for Florida to once again be in this position. It’s time to stop playing games and get serious about ending this pandemic once and for all.”

Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is also running for governor, urged DeSantis to declare a new state of emergency in the state and increase a push by state government to get people vaccinated. Florida has seen its vaccination rate tick upward in the past week as cases have surged.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 49.1 percent of Florida’s total population — or 10.5 million — has been fully vaccinated. That puts Florida 24th among all 50 states and the District of Columbia.