Florida governor blasts hypocrisy of ‘lockdown politicians’ — Analysis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has boasted that his refusal to enact “draconian” coronavirus restrictions has made his state a top destination for politicians looking to escape the rules they put in place at home.

“If I had a dollar for every lockdown politician who decided to escape to Florida over the last two years, I’d be a pretty doggone wealthy man, let me tell you,”DeSantis laughed at Monday’s press conference. “I mean, Congresspeople, mayors, governors … you name it.”

“It’s interesting the reception that some of these folks will get in Florida,”The governor continued. “because I think a lot of Floridians say ‘wait a minute you’re bashing us because we’re not doing your draconian policies, and yet we’re the first place you want to flee to, to basically to be able to enjoy life.’”

DeSantis made the remarks one day after social media photos showed Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a New York Representative, attending a Miami bar. She wore a face mask and rubbed shoulders in Hollywood stars and drag queens. Several weeks earlier, Ocasio-Cortez, who has consistently supported mask mandates throughout the pandemic, stated that she couldn’t turn up to vote on Capitol Hill due to “the ongoing public health emergency.” 

Though many visitors to Florida are likely drawn as much by the winter sun as DeSantis’ lax Covid policies, the governor said that “there are probably about a half dozen governors who had restrictions on their people and then were spotted at various points in Florida.” 

“Some of it’s been public, some of it‘s not been public, but you know people tell me these things,”He added: “I’m happy though that Florida’s a place where people know they can come and they can live like normal people, they can make their own decisions.”

On Monday in Florida, 85,000 Covid-19 cases were recorded. This is the most daily number since the outbreak. DeSantis’ refusal to implement masking and vaccine mandates has seen him consistently lambasted by Democrats, who blame the state’s high case numbers on these policies.  

However, cases of Covid-19 spiked across the US as winter set in, and just a week beforehand, New York – where masks or proof of vaccination are required to enter most public spaces – was recording more cases every day than Florida and more than three times as many deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Multiple public health agencies report that deaths and hospitalizations are still low across the country, despite previous cases. However, Omicron can cause mild-to-moderate symptoms in many people, which is why there have been no major spikes in case numbers.