Florida has reported only 37,439 positive coronavirus cases, ranking it eighth in the U.S. for the number of confirmed cases despite being the nation’s third most populated state. 

The case and death numbers point to something many may find surprising: Florida has not become as much of a hot spot as other states such as New York, California, and Michigan.

The state has fewer cases per capita than other heavily impacted states, such as Louisiana. According to Johns Hopkins University, Florida has had a total of 176 cases per 100,000 people compared to Louisiana, which has had 644 per 100,000 people.

Most of the Sunshine State entered its first phase of reopening on Monday, with restaurants, retail stores and museums allowed to operate at no more 25 percent capacity with social distancing restrictions.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who took criticism last month for his initial reluctance to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, touted the progress his state has made in a press conference on Tuesday.

“The fact of the matter is, Florida has met all the gating criteria to be into phase one,” DeSantis said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Here are three possible reasons Florida is handling the coronavirus pandemic better than many other states:

1) Florida has more single-family-home-style living than states like New York and New Jersey.

2) Floridians travel by car rather than via public transit.

3) Florida has expansive outdoor spaces where people can get out and stay active while maintaining responsible social distancing guidelines.