Leaders in South Florida counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward, penned a statement criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for last week’s executive order canceling coronavirus-related fines across the state, contending the move “inadvertently” sends the wrong message “that common-sense measures to fight COVID-19 are no longer needed.”
While the county leaders recognized the positivity trend is moving in the “right direction” and the state is ramping up its vaccination efforts, they expressed dismay toward the governor for continuing to roll back penalties related to public health measures across the Sunshine State.
“Now is not the time to throw caution to the wind as we are so close to putting this pandemic behind us.” they wrote, citing the executive order DeSantis signed last week, which they say “inadvertently sends a message to residents and the business community alike that common-sense measures to fight COVID-19 are no longer needed — when we know that they do, in fact, work to prevent the spread and, most importantly, save lives.”
Ultimately, the leaders begged South Florida residents and business owners, specifically, to continue to abide by public health measures, including mask-wearing and social distancing:
We urge all South Florida residents, businesses and visitors to continue following these important precautions and requirements, including wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and frequent sanitizing as we work together to stay vigilant and protect our communities in what we hope is the final chapter of this fight.
DeSantis, who received a wave of backlash for lifting hefty restrictions in his state in September, signed an executive order last week canceling local coronavirus fines in Florida, citing the “unprecedented local government restrictions imposed on individuals and businesses over the course of the last year.”
Florida Executive Order 21-65 by PeterBurke
“I hereby remit and fines imposed between March 1, 2020, and March 10, 2021 by any political subdivision of Florida related to local government COVID-19 restrictions,” the order states. The order does not cover actions by the state or absolve fines imposed on nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
“I just think those fines are out of control, and we want to make sure that folks are protected,” the Republican governor said last week. “Most of those restrictions have not been effective. That’s just the reality.”
This is not the first time DeSantis has faced pressure from local leaders. In November, a group of Sunshine State mayors attempted to pressure the governor into imposing a statewide mask mandate for the sake of “consistency.” DeSantis, however, refused. Last month, he blasted members of the establishment media after they pressed the governor on maskless Super Bowl celebrations that took place in Tampa Bay and abroad.
“You guys really love that. You don’t care as much if it’s a ‘peaceful protest.’” Then it’s fine,” DeSantis told reporters. “You don’t care as much if they’re celebrating a Biden election. You only care about it if it’s people you don’t like.”
Despite the absence of stringent statewide restrictions, Florida has reported fewer new cases of the Chinese coronavirus per capita, and in total, than New York State in the last seven days, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) March 15 data.
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