Florida’s Governor has been in the media a lot for his staunch stance on mask and vaccine mandates being intrusive and infringing on people’s rights.
The top health official for Florida was asked to exit a meeting for refusing to wear a mask. The office the meeting was in belonged to a state senator with a serious medical condition.
A memo had been sent asking that visitors be respectful with social interactions, and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo was offered a mask and asked to wear it upon arrival.
Democratic Senator Tina Polsky did not disclose that she had breast cancer, but that she had a serious medical condition putting her at risk for severe COVID-19.
Ladapo had asked for the meeting because he was seeking confirmation in the Senate.
Polsky said he refused the mask and asked to meet outside, where she said she did not want to sit. When asked why he would not wear the mask he would not answer.
Ladapo was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, and Democrats oppose the appointment as state Surgeon General after comments and actions regarding the pandemic.
Ladapo has changed rules allowing parents control of vaccines and masks as well as whether to let their kids quarantine after exposure in school. He has voiced that the government is hiding accounts of adverse reactions from the vaccine, and wrote an opinion people saying masks have no effect on virus transmission.
While there is no mask mandate in the Senate, it’s expected that those visiting respect other’s wishes of wearing a mask.
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