When the coronavirus hit New York City, thousands of residents fled the city. Many of them left for the Hamptons or the West Coast, according to a New York Times analysis of mail-forwarding requests. And hundreds of others traveled down to Florida, toward Miami, Orlando, or Tampa.

This influx of New Yorkers became so overwhelming that, at one point, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set up highway checkpoints along Florida’s northern highways to screen New York motorists. He ordered New Yorkers who flew into the state to self-quarantine for two weeks or face a 60-day jail sentence.