As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on Florida, hospitalization rates have skyrocketed and pediatric cases have hit a record high. Governor DeSantis’s response after repeatedly undermining public health experts and playing politics with people’s lives? “Deal with” it.

“To put it bluntly: Ron DeSantis has failed his state. With a 550% increase in pediatric COVID cases over the last month, it’s hard to ignore how different the situation could be had Governor DeSantis actually decided to ‘deal with’ COVID-19. Time and time again, DeSantis has focused on playing politics, undermining public health experts, and casting doubt on vaccines – costing people their lives. DeSantis has already failed the people of Florida, but instead of selling koozies and fundraising off his deadly pandemic response, he could at least try to show an ounce of remorse, let alone a little leadership.”– DNC Spokesperson Adonna Biel

NBC6: As COVID Hits Florida’s Children, DeSantis Stands Firm, Says ‘Deal With’ It

• “The delta variant of COVID-19 is different, more contagious, and it is fueling a record-high wave of virus in Florida that is rapidly impacting its children.”
• “DeSantis often trumpets his hands-off policies in what he calls the ‘free state of Florida’ and has referred to measures supported by the nation’s leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, as ‘Faucism,’ a play on words on ‘fascism.’”
• “Thursday, the governor conceded things are worse than expected…His assessment, though, included this message to Floridians: deal with it.”
• “DeSantis first threatened to defund a portion of schools’ budgets if they mandated masks, then tried to dial that back to only threatening the salaries of school district leaders.”