The numbers I've seen are that death rate per capita has been lowering California than Florida so far, so while I think investigation should be done about about "were the outcomes so much better to justify whatever additional cost[0]" I haven't seen anything suggesting that public health measures haven't had any effect.
We should, of course, also wait until things have actually settled down and we don't keep having more periodic surges...
[0] how costly, exactly, things have been is another question that needs more investigation, especially for all types of interventions. E.g. if, after 2022, nowhere in the US institutes another Covid mask mandate or lockdown, all the folks hysterical about how "Covid is just an excuse for democrats to take your freedoms away and never give it back" should rethink a few things.
Florida also has a lot more residents in the vulnerable 65+ age group. So all else being equal we would expect Florida to have a much higher death rate.
On the flip side, Florida has year round warm weather and sunshine. Not only does that sanitize viral particles, but it makes it easier to move socialization outdoors.
India's per-capita deaths are lower than Floria. And sunlight sanitizing the air might be bunk, but being able to socialize more outdoors is very much not. India's population density is nowhere close to Florida's.
We should, of course, also wait until things have actually settled down and we don't keep having more periodic surges...
[0] how costly, exactly, things have been is another question that needs more investigation, especially for all types of interventions. E.g. if, after 2022, nowhere in the US institutes another Covid mask mandate or lockdown, all the folks hysterical about how "Covid is just an excuse for democrats to take your freedoms away and never give it back" should rethink a few things.