Pandemic tensions deepen in Florida as DeSantis digs in
The Omicron wave appears to have crested in Florida, but you wouldn’t know it from the acrimonious battles Florida politicians have been fighting over the pandemic. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week lashed out at Washington, and Democratic lawmakers protested the confirmation of Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who has expressed skepticism over vaccines and masks.
Few states have received as much scrutiny throughout the pandemic as Florida, where DeSantis has rejected many of the safety measures recommended by health officials while also downplaying the efficacy of vaccines. That has made him a favorite of conservatives while leading some to question whether he is doing enough to keep Floridians safe.
The moment is politically perilous for DeSantis, who is expected to seek the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024. He also faces reelection in November, and though he is expected to win easily, his opponents have not been shy about voicing their frustrations, in particular about how he has handled the Omicron surge.
“He just doesn’t care about us,” went the headline of a Miami Herald editorial published on Wednesday afternoon, after another day in which Florida seemed to serve as an all-too-perfect microcosm of how relentlessly politicized the pandemic has become.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pandemic-tensions-deepen-in-florida-as-de-santis-digs-in-over-battle-with-critics-192843576.html
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