Floridians have never been able to trust the number of coronavirus cases reported by the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Not when it fired a data scientist who wouldn't manipulate the figures. Not when state health officials wouldn't release real-time hospitalization figures. Not when we couldn't get solid answers about COVID's rampage through nursing homes.

And not when, as the governor did on Monday, he embraced the guidance of the new White House's coronavirus adviser, Scott Atlas. Atlas recommends testing only people with coronavirus symptoms, despite experts' warning that symptoms don't have to be present in order for a person to be coronavirus positive — and contagious.

But on Tuesday, DeSantis appeared genuinely incensed that the state reported more than 7,500 additional COVID-19 cases, a huge increase over recent days. It turns out the daily number was inflated by what the governor called a "dump" of old tests from Quest Diagnostics, which had withheld test results from the state dating back as far back as April.

Unbelievable, even for Florida. DeSantis was livid. So should be every Floridian whose tax money paid for this shoddy service.

The governor fired the testing lab, a straightforward and solid decision.

From the start, the number of coronavirus cases in Florida has been in dispute. News reporters and the governor's office have been going back and forth, and round and round, on the correct count for months, with the state suspected of underreporting cases.

Tuesday, there was simply more evidence for concern. We commend the governor for firing Quest. Better still will be if his administration refuses to let bygones be bygones and doesn't rehire it for a future gig.

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE MIAMI HERALD