Teachers! Do I interpret this article properly?

Hi teachers! ???

I'm reading a piece in 'The Economist' titled

'A shadow over the Sunshine State- Ron Desantis is Donald Trump's and the coronavirus's favourite governor'.

And here's several sentences where I need your help!

?All(=Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee, Gavin Newsom, Larry Hogan, Mike Dewine) were shuttering businesses and

enforcing social distancing while Donald Trump questioned whether the pandemic was much of a thing.

I looked 'much of a thing' up in a dictionary and found nothing about this phrase.

Does it mean 'a big deal'?

?Mr Newsom's prompt action may have spared California the level of crisis Mr Cuomo is facing.

Does this sentence imply 'As Newsom of California quickly decided to lockdown the state, it could be hit much

less than NewYork by the coronavirus'?

?A heat map of the cell-phone signals emitted by a crowd of fun-seekers on Fort Lauderdale beach-almost

two months after America had recorded its first coronavirus case-suggests they have since fanned out all

across America.

In my understanding,

ºfun-seekers= visitors from outside the state(Florida)

ºthey= fun-seekers

ºsince=as of almost two months after America confirmed the first infection.

is it right?

?And could you tell me if I wrote the words or clause with background color properly?

Thank you so much for reading my question!

I know I have quite many questions in a post T.T

Just give me answers only as much as your time allows! ???