Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a proposal Tuesday that would permanently end COVID-19 restrictions and enact protections for medical professionals.
DeSantis held a press conference unveiling “Permanent Protections Against the COVID-19 Biomedical Security State.” On Twitter, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis wrote that her husband will “end any remaining unscientific restrictions – permanently,” and shared an infographic describing his plan to “prescribe freedom.”
Across the country, freedom has been stripped from The People in the name of public health.
Not in Florida.
Today @GovRonDeSantis announced he will end any remaining unscientific restrictions – permanently.
On behalf of a grateful state, thank you, Gov! pic.twitter.com/3bRC4skaEO
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) January 17, 2023
The proposal would prohibit COVID-19 mask mandates in schools and businesses throughout the state, according to the infographic. It would also prohibit vaccine requirements in schools and bar employers from making hiring decisions based on vaccination status. The graphic also claims that the proposed legislation will protect the medical professionals’ religious liberty and freedom of speech, empowering them to “disagree with the preferred narrative of the medical community.”
“Florida said NO … but some of these people just won’t quit,” DeSantis said at the press conference. “We need to lead with this by making all of these protections permanent in Florida statute, which we are going to do in the upcoming legislative session.”
DeSantis passed legislation in 2021 to ban mask mandates in schools and prohibit private employers from enacting vaccine mandates. Florida’s COVID provisions are set to expire in July, and DeSantis has promised to enact further protections. (RELATED: COVID Vaccine Manufacturer BioNTech Pressured Twitter To Censor Anti-Pharma Activists, Docs Show)
“As a health sciences researcher and physician, I have personally witnessed accomplished scientists receive threats due to their unorthodox position,” Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said in a press release. “However, many of these positions have proven to be correct, as we’ve all seen over the past few years. All medical professionals should be encouraged to engage in scientific discourse without fearing for their livelihoods or their careers.”
Florida’s legislative session begins March 7, according to the Florida Senate calendar.