July 27, 2020 at 12:21 AM EDT
Coronavirus ravaged Florida, as Ron DeSantis sidelined scientists and followed Trump
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As Florida became a worldwide epicenter of the coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a person meeting this thirty day period with his top rated community wellbeing formal, Scott Rivkees, in accordance to the governor’s schedule. His health and fitness section has sidelined scientists, halting briefings very last month with disease specialists and telling the authorities there was not adequate personnel from the point out to continue on taking part.
DeSantis (R) this thirty day period traveled to Miami to keep a roundtable with South Florida mayors, whose location was having difficulties as a novel coronavirus very hot spot. But the Republican mayor of Hialeah was shut out, weeks following indicating the governor “hasn’t done much” for a city disproportionately afflicted by the virus.
As the virus unfold out of handle in Florida, conclusion-creating grew to become progressively formed by politics and divorced from scientific proof, in accordance to interviews with 64 existing and previous state and administration officials, wellness administrators, epidemiologists, political operatives and healthcare facility executives.
By Cleve Wootson, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Lori Rozsa and Josh Dawsey