Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to oppose the Biden administration's federal vaccine mandates.
He said that he was offended by the possibility of a police officer losing their job.
DeSantis is against broad vaccine requirements and mandates for masks in K-12 public school.
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Republican Governor. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis from Florida is a vocal opponent to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. On Thursday, the state said it would fight the federal government in court regarding legislation regarding such requirements.
DeSantis is a possible 2024 presidential candidate. He has been vocal against the immunization rules that employers are required to follow. Last month, he said that President Joe Biden's mandate for vaccinations was in violation of Florida law.
DeSantis stated this week at a news conference, "Let's never have Biden come into and effectively take away threaten take away the jobs people who have worked hard during this entire pandemic." "I find it offensive that a police officer could lose their job."
He said, "It's fundamentally wrong to take people's jobs away. Especially given the economic situations we are facing."
Federal regulations require that employers employing more than 100 employees must provide weekly testing or undergo vaccinations. This would impact approximately 80 million Americans. This mandate, which is also applicable to federal employees and contractors, would affect approximately 17 million healthcare workers employed in hospitals that accept Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement.
Biden's action was quickly picked up by the Republicans last month.
Even Governor. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who traveled across Arkansas to promote the vaccine, stated that Biden's decision not to enact the federal mandate was detrimental to the public's ability to inoculate more people.
He stated last month that he supports businesses being allowed to require vaccinations, but that it is their choice. But, a federal mandate would be counterproductive. It will increase resistance. It doesn't matter if you have it or not. We will grow our vaccines."
DeSantis has opposed the use of vaccine passports. He also waged wars with school districts who have tried to implement mask mandates. Dr. Joseph Ladapo was recently appointed the state's new surgeon-general.
Ladapo, who is against mask mandates and believes that COVID-19 vaccinations are "nothing exceptional", last year increased the use of hydroxychloroquine in fighting the coronavirus. The World Health Organization stated earlier this year that hydroxychloroquine was not an effective treatment for COVID-19.
The Florida Department of Health recently assessed a $3.57million fine against Leon County. Leon County is the state capital of Tallahassee. This was after the jurisdiction required that hundreds of workers be vaccinated.
According to The Tallahassee Democrat, 14 employees were fired by the county for refusing to get the vaccine. Local officials are ready to defend the requirement at court.
Epi-Phare, a French-funded scientific organization, recently found that vaccinations can reduce the chance of developing severe COVID-19 in people 50 years and older.
Insider's Eliza Relman reported that both medical professionals and public health and legal specialists have praised vaccine testing mandates as constitutional tools to promote public safety and health, especially since the unvaccinated are a danger to their own health and safety.
DeSantis stated that the lawsuits by the state against federal mandates would be filed at the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
According to Johns Hopkins University's latest data, Florida has lost over 57,000 people to the virus since the outbreak. Florida saw a spike in COVID-19-related infections this summer, fueled by the Delta variant.
