Image 01 Image 03

DeSantis Ends Public COVID Rules, Bans Vaccine Passports

DeSantis Ends Public COVID Rules, Bans Vaccine Passports

“I think folks that are saying that they need to be policing people at this point, if you’re saying that you really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines, you don’t believe in the data you don’t believe in the science…”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill officially banning vaccine passports and ending public COVID-19 rules. It goes into effect on July 1.

Private businesses can still implement their own mask and social distancing rules.

From The Miami Herald:

“I think it’s the evidence-based thing to do,’’ DeSantis said at St. Petersburg restaurant where he signed the bill with House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson at this side. “I think folks that are saying that they need to be policing people at this point, if you’re saying that you really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines, you don’t believe in the data you don’t believe in the science….We are no longer in the state of emergency.”

The provision regulating so-called “vaccine passports” is tucked into, SB 2006, a bill intended to update the state’s emergency powers in the face of a future public health emergency. The new law is effective July 1, but DeSantis also on Monday said he would sign an executive order invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders that are still in place after July 1 and suspend immediately any orders related to COVID-19 now.

“The bill ensures that neither the state or local governments can close businesses or keep kids out of in-personal instruction unless they satisfy a demanding and continuous justification,” added DeSantis.

Businesses and local governments face up to a $5,000 fine if they try to require proof of a COVID vaccine. They can have health screenings if they are “consistent with authoritative or controlling government-issued guidance to protect public health.”

The bill exempts licensed healthcare providers from the vaccine passport ban.

DONATE

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.

Comments

TheOldZombie | May 3, 2021 at 5:24 pm

Good. My states governor is best in the nation. 🙂

My only question is does this stop a business from requiring a customer to wear a mask in order to come into the store?

DeSantis for 2024!! (if Trump doesn’t run)

    bear in reply to TheOldZombie. | May 3, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    I just looked up leadership in my dictionary. There were two photos….Trump and DeSantis.

    JCC76 in reply to TheOldZombie. | May 3, 2021 at 5:42 pm

    “Private businesses can still implement their own mask and social distancing rules.”

    From the article. But from what I could tell during my recent vacation to Florida, most of the businesses that are worth your patronage are not going to require a face diaper. Now if King Roy of Raleigh would just choke on his face diaper we could have a real leader in North Carolina.

      hrhdhd in reply to JCC76. | May 3, 2021 at 5:50 pm

      Depends what county you’re in (which is why DeSantis’s getting rid of the orders is awesome). In Orange County, we’re ruled by Jerry Demings (Val’s hubby), and he’s pro-mask.

        Evil Otto in reply to hrhdhd. | May 4, 2021 at 4:32 am

        Demings was making noise last week about maybe relaxing mask requirements outdoors if half the people were vaccinated.,, which is funny since the vast majority aren’t bothering to wear masks outdoors anyway. Not sure if he did or not, but in the end it doesn’t matter.

        OwenKellogg-Engineer in reply to hrhdhd. | May 4, 2021 at 8:13 am

        Jerry’s been towing the company line, but he has not broke far left either. No riots, no craziness. That would be bad business for the local tourist economy.

      audax in reply to JCC76. | May 4, 2021 at 2:59 am

      Soooo…which business are you going to support with your business? Get woke, go broke.

American Human | May 3, 2021 at 5:46 pm

If I were in Florida (1.5 weeks to go) I would easily bypass a restaurant that required a mask and stroll over to one that doesn’t. Easy-peasy!

If you’re a restaurant owner and require masks after this goes into effect, you’ll go out of business.

We’re checking zillow for Florida homes and monster for Florida jobs almost daily.

It’s not just Desantis vs our idiot governor, who both daily come up with reasons why we want to move to Florida from our state which is governed by morons.

It’s the freaking voters who put these people in charge. Believe me in that the wokeness in our state/county/city runs all the way down to the school board and even the principal driving her politics in at every opportunity.

I honestly think the intent in my current state is to drive sane people away so they can rule with totality.

In our “backward” state of Alabama, Governor Ivey is trashing statewide requirements of masks, although individual businesses can (and do) keep the requirements in their premises. Their option.

Too bad Michigan, Noo Yuk, and others can’t catch up to the South. Sorry about that. y’all.
.

“The bill exempts licensed healthcare providers from the vaccine passport ban”

Bad idea. That’s a loophole you can drive a Saturn V through. As for the new bill, why have an effective date two months from now?

    OwenKellogg-Engineer in reply to randian. | May 4, 2021 at 8:21 am

    It’s for hospitals, nursing homes, etc. I can see that for patients in bound for a procedure, or a stay; but what will that do for employees who are still unsure of the long term efficacy, let alone the variations of the virus that may occur for which this particular vaccine will have no effect?

docduracoat | May 4, 2021 at 12:20 pm

Ron DeSantis for president in 2024!