Ron DeSantis Continues His Political Posturing That Will Only Prolong the Pandemic
Washington, DC – This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threw a temper tantrum after the FDA cut Florida’s allotment of antibody cocktails. Even though the two pharmaceutical companies who make the drugs said they don’t work against Omicron, DeSantis accused the Biden administration of making the decision without a “shred of clinical data.” In response, Protect Our Care’s Coronavirus War Room released the following statement:
“Ron DeSantis has proven once again he’s more interested in playing politics with people’s lives than doing the right thing,” said Coronavirus War Room Director Nicole Haley. “Ron DeSantis already has the tool he needs to keep people safe and healthy: vaccines! We know unvaccinated people are the ones overwhelming hospitals and suffering the most because they are listening to people like DeSantis. Meanwhile, he’s attacking President Biden for not wanting sick people to get treatments that don’t work. By ignoring science and common sense, and throwing fits designed to pander to the most fringe elements of his base, DeSantis is prolonging the pandemic, making it harder for people in Florida and around the country to stay safe and healthy.”
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 has asked 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.
Republican State Lawmakers And DeSantis Ban Vaccine Passports. Gov. DeSantis signed Senate Bill 2006 into law in early May 2021 to ban vaccine passports and “government overreach.” This limits when the state and local governments can call for an emergency order and allows the Governor of Florida to invalidate a local emergency order if it unnecessarily restricts the rights or liberties of individuals. This law and Executive Orders 21-101 and 21-102 ended local emergency orders. On June 27, 2021, DeSantis did not renew the state’s emergency order.
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.
FACTS ABOUT ANTIBODIES:
- Regeneron and Eli Lilly have said their monoclonal antibodies do not work against omicron. NIH agrees. Virtually all early studies have also shown this.
- FDA restricted the authorizations to say the products are not currently authorized to be used anywhere in the country.
- The American Medical Association agrees with the FDA’s decision saying, “we are pleased that the FDA is following the scientific evidence and limiting the use of monoclonal antibody treatments to those that are effective against the Omicron variant.”
- CDC’s current estimate is that Omicron makes up 99% of cases nationwide, including no less than 97% in any region.