Florida schools, governments and businesses will have to pay hefty fines if they require proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
While cities like New York and San Francisco have begun requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to go to establishments like restaurants and gyms, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis says he is completely against any kind of vaccine policy.
The Governor, who says he is fully vaccinated, said that he would find it offensive if he was asked for proof of vaccination to enter a business.
“One, I’m vaccinated, I am offended that someone would make me show something just to go to a restaurant or just to live life,” DeSantis said during a news conference in Pensacola.
“My view is we got to protect people’s ability to live their lives. I don’t want a biomedical security state in which are constantly having to do this just to be able to live everyday life.”
Back in May, the Governor signed an executive order banning any kind of vaccine passport in the state.
DeSantis said that he thinks that vaccine mandates would do more harm than good and said that he does not want two classes of residents living in Florida.
“I also don’t want two classes of citizens,” he said. “We have some people in our communities who just made the decision this is something that they’re not going to do. So what? You’re going to write them out of society?”
“There’s a lot of people who’ve already recovered from COVID who do have immunity,” DeSantis said. “(You’re) actually saying me with the Johnson and Johnson shot can go in, but someone who’s recovered from COVID and probably has stronger immunity, they can’t go in? I’m sorry that is anti-science.”
Governor DeSantis said that while he is happy that Florida residents are getting vaccinates, he noted that COVID-19 is still spreading even among the vaccinated population thus a vaccine mandate would be an ineffective policy.
He also announced that as of September 16th, the state will issue $5,000 fines to businesses, schools, and governments that require proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
