Governor Ron DeSantis’ Quest for Political Points Has Slowed Florida’s Recovery From the Pandemic
This week, the people of Florida were reminded of Ron DeSantis’ horrific record on COVID-19 by a mobile billboard which circled the state capitol on Tuesday and Wednesday.
DeSantis has downplayed the safety of vaccines and boosters, refusing to say whether or not he received his booster shot. He changed his state’s unemployment rules to allow people who were fired or quit over vaccine mandates to receive unemployment benefits. As Omicron swept through his state and people scrambled to get testing, DeSantis allowed tests to expire in a warehouse rather than distribute them to people who needed them. After certain monoclonal antibodies were found to be ineffective against Omicron and the Biden administration stopped sending them to states, DeSantis picked a political fight instead of encouraging vaccines or getting the treatments that actually work out to sick people. These actions, and the many, many others he’s taken in order to serve his own political ambitions, have only served to make people sick and prolong the pandemic.
DeSantis has proven time and time again that he is a total disaster for Florida. A new video by the Coronavirus War Room details his failures over the past few years, all in an attempt to gain political points at the expense of the health and well-being of the people who voted him into office.
RON DESANTIS IS A DISASTER FOR FLORIDA:
DeSantis Lets A Million Unused Tests Expire While Floridians Struggle To Find Tests. Governor DeSantis and his administration covered up that 800,000 to 1,000,000 Covid-19 rapid tests expired in a warehouse from December 26th through the 30th. As Covid-19 tests have become scarce, Floridians have had to wait in hours-long lines in order to get tested. DeSantis had to ask for an expiration date extension and has announced that his administration will distribute 1,000,000 at home tests to assisted living facilities for seniors.
DeSantis Spreads Vaccine Misinformation While The Omicron Variant Surged Across Florida. In his first press conference of 2022, Governor DeSantis said, “With Omicron, you know, the vaccinations are not preventing infection.” Doctors and scientists staunchly oppose this sentiment arguing that those inoculated and boosted against Covid-19 are best protected against severe sickness and hospitalization from the Omicron variant. DeSantis also supports monoclonal antibody treatments as a solution to the coronavirus pandemic. However, recent studies have shown that antibody treatments do little to counteract the effects of the Omicron variant.
DeSantis Bans Mask Mandates In Schools. On July 30, 2021, Gov. DeSantis issued Executive Order 21-075 to ban mask mandates in schools and allow parents the right to decide if their children wear masks. After facing backlash from school districts with mask mandates already in place, DeSantis threatened to withhold salaries of superintendents and school boards disregarding his executive order and ultimately withheld funds from two districts — $194,720 from Alachua County and $526,197 from Broward County. In November, Florida’s state board of education voted to restore funding to school districts that previously imposed mask mandates, following those districts lifting their mask orders.
DeSantis Appoints Misinformation Fanatic As Surgeon General. Governor DeSantis appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapo to the position of General Surgeon–an extremist who has peddled dangerous misinformation, pushed quack cures like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and called masks a “distraction.” Reports now state that Lapado brings home a $362,000 paycheck each year, a massive increase from his predecessor and a slap in the face to Floridians who are facing economic hardships due to the pandemic.