Florida: ‘$5,000 Fines For Demanding COVID Jabs’
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The U.S. State of Florida confirmed Thursday it would impose $5,000 fines on businesses, schools, and government agencies that demand people to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis already signed a bill recently banning coronavirus “vaccine passports” despite pressure from the White House and other Democratic-run states.
The jab document is required to access several different venues, including restaurants, theaters, and bars. New York City and San Francisco implemented similar mandates in recent weeks.
But that system is triggering concerns about possible inequality between the vaccinated and those who are not.
That’s why in Florida, fines will start September 16 if people are asked to show proof of a vaccine, said DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske. “Promises made, promises kept,” Fenske added.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the state’s only statewide elected Democrat and a candidate hoping to challenge DeSantis for governor next year, condemns the fines.
“Governor DeSantis is retaliating against Floridians who are trying to protect themselves and their communities from COVID-19,” Fried claimed in a statement. “This not only goes against common sense. It’s also an insult to the free market principles that he claims to champion,” Fried stressed.
Opponents of the governor’s policies say COVID-19 infections in Florida have “skyrocketed” over the summer due to the delta variant.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported more than 15,000 patients are currently hospitalized in Florida, up from about 1,800 in June.
Florida’s COVID-19 death toll has increased by 1,338, according to the latest data posted Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, those fatalities did not all happen over the past day and spanned back weeks. Florida’s reported COVID-19 death count was reported Thursday as 45,909 on a population of roughly 22 million people.
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