Florida will begin imposing $ 5,000 fines on businesses, schools and government agencies that ask people to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted a law this year banning vaccination passports. Fines will begin to be imposed from 16 September on establishments or facilities requesting a vaccination test.
“Promises made, promises fulfilled,” Taryn Fenske, the governor’s spokesman, said Wednesday.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is the only Democrat elected to run for office at the state level and wants to run with DeSantis in next year’s gubernatorial election, criticized the fines.
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“Governor DeSantis is taking retaliatory action against Floridans who are trying to protect themselves and their communities from COVID-19,” Fried said in an emailed statement. “This not only goes against common sense, it’s also an insult to the principles of the free market that he claims to uphold.”
COVID-19 cases in Florida have increased dramatically over the summer, and the state has been one of the hardest hit by the delta variant in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services has reported that more than 15,000 patients are currently hospitalized in Florida, up from June 1,800.