Photo: Alamy
With the rise of Covid-19 in the U.S., deterrence measures are resurfacing in some states, but not Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., doubles down on his anti-lockdown stance and reassures citizens freedom from “COVID hysteria.”
During a press conference on Thursday in Jacksonville, DeSantis said, “Even today, parts of our country are forcing children to wear masks in the classroom. Those mandates are DOA in Florida, and we will protect parents and children from this perpetual COVID hysteria.”
This came after some schools in Florida have reintroduced masks and booster shot requirements for students. NBC Miami reported what DeSantis said about this move from schools, “You think that they just won’t try anything new again, and then they always try to figure something out. If you give these people an inch, they will take a mile.”
DeSantis, like President Trump, has taken his stance against mask mandates and vaccinations seriously.
In 2022, the Florida governor signed a medical freedom legislative that protected residents from being forced to wear masks or be vaccinated. DeSantis was also the one to establish the Public Health Integrity Committee, which was tasked to ensure that all of Florida’s public health policies are best suited to the citizens of Florida.
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo backed DeSantis on his anti-lockdown stance and said, “There are forces in our world that constantly use fear and distortion to try and convince us to abandon our freedom and civil liberties,”
DeSantis has assured residents not to be alarmed because Florida will not impose mask mandates, forced vaccines, or the closure of schools. AP News said DeSantis warned supporters, “People are lurching toward this insanity again. As we see these things being orchestrated … there needs to be pushback.”
He finished his speech by saying, “We cannot let this happen to our country again. It’s not just me saying that. It’s not just me promising that. We have guaranteed the protections for each and every Floridian.”