Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones (D-35) made remarks on the state’s alarming rise in COVID-19 cases as Florida reports one in every five new cases in the United States. Senator Jones has made the bold call for a state-wide mask mandate.
"New cases have quadrupled across the state this month, pushing our communities and healthcare system to the brink as more Floridians require hospitalization. It didn’t have to be this way," stated Sen. Jones in response to a request for comment by The Floridian.
Jones added that for the last 16 months "the Governor has only added rhetorical fuel to the fire by spreading dangerous misinformation about masks and vaccines all the while hampering local governments’ ability to keep people safe." Adding "The science is clear: the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and each of us has a role to play in protecting not only ourselves but also our loved ones and neighbors."
Senator Jones did however give Governor DeSantis (R-FL) credit on "changing his tune on vaccines." Jones still urges the governor to "put public health, not politics, first for a change."
The Senator then advocated for masks claiming that "Public health experts agree: masks are effective against COVID-19. " elaborating on the new Delta variant and how it is "extremely transmissible, and millions of kids across the state are left vulnerable."
Jones called DeSantis "grossly irresponsible" to "ignore public health guidelines." Solidifying his implication of mask mandates.
