Jason Delgado
Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried sharply criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday after state COVID-19 data showed 2,783 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the most reported in a single day.
“Today’s record-high new cases makes it clear: Governor DeSantis has lost control of Florida’s COVID-19 response,” Fried said. “His policies are simply not working, and he’s recklessly reopening Florida despite the data screaming for caution. Refusing to acknowledge the alarming patterns in cases, hospitalizations, and positivity is not only arrogant, but will cost lives, public health, and our economy.”
Fried, the state’s top Democrat, also cautioned Floridians that public establishments across the state may be unsafe.
“To our citizens, I implore you to wear masks and continue social distancing — and just because a place is open, doesn’t mean it’s safe to go there. To our local governments, please encourage your residents to stay home, mask up, and socially distance. If the Governor is unwilling to make the right decisions, then they must be made in our cities, our states, and our homes. We are in this together, and I will continue fighting on behalf of all Floridians.”
On Monday, however, Fried reopened a Division of Licensing office in Tallahassee, the first and only of its kind to do so.
Despite urging local governments to tell residents to stay home, a spokesman for Fried said the Tallahassee office features safety measures and will remain open to the public.
“Before reopening our Tallahassee licensing office, we enacted CDC-recommended safety measures including plexiglass barriers and face shields and gloves for employees, said FDACS communications director Franco Ripple. “All FDACS public offices will take into consideration county-level COVID-19 data, and we’ll be responsive to that data. With North Florida currently a lower-risk region, we expect to keep the Tallahassee licensing office open at this time with these enhanced safety measures in place.”
All FDACS offices closed statewide on March 1.
