Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attacked the Biden administration's plan to distribute monoclonal antibodies treatments to all 50 states. Joe Raedle/Getty Images DeSantis opens new war with Biden over Covid treatments
TALLAHASSEE The mask was the first invention. Then came a feud over vaccine mandates.
A new front has been opened in the Covid war between President Joe Biden, Florida Governor. Ron DeSantis: Covid-19 anti-body treatments.
DeSantis attacked Biden's plan to distribute monoclonal antibodies treatments to all 50 states on Thursday. The therapies have been used to treat patients with the virus in six states in the South, including Florida. However, 70 percent of the orders were placed in September by other Southern states.
This lopsidedness caused the Biden administration's to begin distributing the more than 158,000 doses this week. DeSantis was then provoked to attack President Biden for taking Floridians out of the therapy.
DeSantis stated that we have been dealt a significant curveball, with a huge cut from HHS, and the Biden administration. We will not leave any stone unturned. We will work hard to provide treatment for anyone who needs it.
He said that Florida was being punished for selling the Covid-19 anti-body treatment before the White House, while the highly transmissible Delta variant spread to Southern states such as Florida, Texas and Louisiana.
DeSantis stated that he believes we could have prevented a lot more people from going to the hospital in this country. It would have saved many lives.
In his Florida pandemic war plan, DeSantis prioritizes monoclonal therapies such as Regeneron. He has spent the past few weeks flying around the state to support the treatments. Monoclonal antibodies are effective when administered early in an illness. He has also opposed Covid-related restrictions like requiring students to use face covers, vaccination passports, or mandating that workers get vaccinated. He has been repeatedly in conflict with the Biden administration.
DeSantis opposition of Covid mandates has made him more prominent. Conservatives all across the country cheered him on as he prepares for reelection to challenge Biden in 2024. The governor's approval ratings dropped as the state failed to meet grim Covid milestones like hospitalizations or new infections nearly every week. This poses a threat for his electoral ambitions.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, defended Biden's plan to reduce Floridas allocation of the antibody treatment. She stated that the administration has increased the distribution of antibody treatments by 50% in September. She also warned that there isn't an unlimited supply.
She stated that our role as the government responsible for overseeing the country's affairs is to distribute equally. We are not going to give more to Florida than to Oklahoma.
Federal records indicate that Florida will receive 27.850 doses of Regeneron this week. This is the highest amount in the country. According to DeSantis, it is less than the weekly average of 72,000. The federal supply was 70 percent for Florida, and six other states. Now, Florida and six other states are receiving more than 55%. The rest is shared with other states, districts, and territories, including Oklahoma. Oklahoma will receive 2,840 doses.
However, Biden's plan did not go down well with the rest of Florida's Republicans. Republican Senator Marco Rubio took to Twitter Thursday to denounce the White House's redistribution anti-biotic treatments. He claimed that it was partisan payback against Florida.
Since March 2020, more than 49,000 Florida residents have been affected by Covid-19. According to the weekly reports of the state Department of Health, the Delta surge caused more than 9,600 deaths and more than 8818,000 new infections in August.
Christina Pushaw, spokesperson for DeSantis, told POLITICO on Monday that Florida health officials informed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that at least 36,000 doses of antibody cocktails were required by the state to treat the 25 treatment sites. This does not include locations where it is offered privately. Federal officials informed the state that they expect to receive about 30,000 doses in an email sent Tuesday by HHS. Pushaw also provided a copy.
DeSantis said Thursday that Florida is experiencing a decline in new cases and that demand at 25 therapy centers has declined. The holiday season has historically seen another spike in state revenues.
DeSantis stated that we will work hard to overcome any obstacles HHS or the Biden administration put in.
