Jason Delgado
The Grim Reaper joined a handful of Florida doctors at the Governor’s Mansion on Friday to urge Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue a statewide mask mandate in public places.
Armed with a graveyard cross and coffin, the group called for DeSantis to listen to the advice of scientists, doctors and physicians amid the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the Sunshine State.
“The Governor is taking us in the wrong direction and has ignored the advice of doctors and scientists and even his own Surgeon General who advises that we all wear masks,” said Florida Physicians for Social Responsibility Board Member Dr. Ron Saff.
Saff laid blame, in part, to the state’s Reopen Florida Task Force, which notably lacked proportionate representation from Florida’s medical community.
“Physicians heard the footsteps of the Grim Reaper approaching several months ago when Governor DeSantis stacked his ReOpen Florida Task Force with business leaders rather than medical and pandemic experts, and the task force recklessly decided to reopen Florida for business prematurely and without mandating masks,” added Dr. Saff.
While mask mandates have been issued at the local level in some jurisdictions, Dr. Donald Axelrod argued that anything less than a state order is insufficient.
“In Florida, the Governor is making a similar mistake as the leader of our government at the federal level,” Dr. Axelrod said. “While wearing of face coverings is proven to reduce spread of COVID-19, in Florida the Governor is leaving it up to local governments to mandate masks. In municipalities without mandates, those choosing not to wear face coverings are infecting those that are.”
The Physicians for Social Responsibility has started a petition to compel DeSantis to issue a mask mandate. Thus far, the petition has over 1,000 signatures from physicians across the state.
Additionally, the group is encouraging Floridians to call and email the Governor’s office to demand action.
Howard Kessler, a local physician and president of Florida’s Physicians for Social Responsibility, said the novel coronavirus needs to be treated as a “very deadly and serious virus.”
“It is not a hoax, and it is not a political issue – it is a health issue,” Kessler said. “COVID-19 should not be trivialized or discounted. It has already killed over 130,000 Americans in just a few months and kills about 50 people every day in Florida.”
As of Friday, state health officials reported 844 more patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the most reported in a 24 hour period. With those new hospitalizations, 17,602 Floridians in hospitals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That more than doubles the previous record of 380 new hospitalizations set Thursday.
Attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who is more commonly recognized as the Grim Reaper, spoke out against the Governor’s decision to reopen Florida public schools in August.
Uhlfelder alleged that DeSantis is “trying to kill our children” and told the press he has a direct message for the Governor.
“Our children are not your tribute,” Uhlfelder said.
Since early in the pandemic, Uhlfelder has traveled to beaches and cities across the state in protest of states’ responses to COVID-19. Dressed as the Grim Reaper, Uhlfelder has made international headlines by speaking out against reopening Florida and its beaches, all while donning the costume and wielding a scythe.
“I’m doing this because our Governor is a derelict Governor,” Uhlfelder said. “He is not taking this seriously, forcing me, an educated family man to travel this state and fix his mess in a costume.”
“Our Governor is cowering to President Trump and special interests and he’s killing us. I’m not gonna stop. If I have to wear this costume till I pass out in Key West, I will because I love Florida and I care about Florida.”
6 comments
Sonja Fitch
July 10, 2020 at 4:17 pm
“Criminally Negligent “. Guilt as charged duffus Desantis! May god have mercy on your soul Desantis!
Tracey Lewis
July 10, 2020 at 10:29 pm
Can you tell us how this is killing our children? I was told the virus isn’t lethal in children. Can you make up your minds?
JB
July 12, 2020 at 4:30 pm
Childhood deaths are reported in Florida. Don’t think this is only an elderly person’s disease. Children will die because of the unchecked spread. 9
CA
July 11, 2020 at 10:37 pm
This virus could possibly be our new normal for some time. As Governor Non De Sanitize states, if we can do Wal-Mart and Home depot we can do school. I say, if we can do Disney World with masks, then children should wear masks in school. Currently, so school districts in Florida will not mandate children to wear masks. Looks like we are setting examples for children to not to examine and consider science, but not question government officials who are making it up as they go. Unfortunately at the expense of lives.
SANDY OESTREICH
July 13, 2020 at 6:25 pm
Don’t listen to deSantis’ b.s. as he is trump’s sycophant. I’m a 35-year Nurse Practitioner and I will strongly work against DeSantis’ dangerous speeches in general, but ESPECIALLY regarding his obvious mistakes on All of us, causing so much misery and death.
To ans. your query: Anyone who contracts Covid19 can have any permutation of that illness. Young people SEEM to be as susceptible to the infection but may have a smoother course of the disease. However, there are certain dangerous differences between the rest of us and those under, say, 14. These youngest of children can have different manifestations of the virus that can kill tho not very publicized.
YES, EVEN INFANTS HAVE DIED FROM THIS VIRUS. NOBODY IS GUARANTEED SAFETY FROM IT.
1. ANYONE CAN BE KILLED BY COVID19. ANYBODY. NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO IT.
2. NO MATTER HOW SICK IT MAKES FOLKS, ESP. ANYBODY OVER ABOUT 60 YEARS OLD, WHO DIE READILY WITH IT, THIS COVID19 ALSO CAN ATTACK A VARIETY OF ORGANS PERMANENTLY. THIS, TOO, IS NOT CIRCULATED WIDELY.
SO, don’t play games with it!!! by being stupid.
FLORIDA’S RATES OF INFECTION WITH IT AND DEATHS ARE PHENOMENOL FOR EVERY SECTOR OF THE PUBLIC.
So out of wisdom and recognizing the realities I’ve presented and without exception ALL should switch back to the first phase we WERE in that dropped our numbers amazingly. ALL SAFEGUARDS need to be re-adopted if we want many fewer infections and esp DEATHS in all ages:
1. stay at home if at all possible. Do NOT go outside for anything except critically needed medications, food..NOTHING MORE.
2. if outside,
WEAR THAT MASK ; MAKE SURE IT LEAVES NO GAPS OR TAPE IT TO YOUR NOSE AND THE SIDES OF YOUR FACE
always make sure there is at least 6 feet between you and everyone else (that’ about 2 arms’ lengths apart). DO NOT GO CLOSER!
GO HOME IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS THAT CANNOT WAIT!
ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS WHEN RETURNED HOME , IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE, NOSE OR EYES.
I KID YOU NOT! BETTER SAFE THAN MISERABLE, DAMAGED FOR LIFE INTERNALLY, SICK ENOUGH TO FEEL YOU ARE DYING, OR ACTUALLY DYING. ALL ARE POTENTIALS IF YOU DO NOT KEEP THE RULES
OH, AND NEVER, EVER BELIEVE A WORD OUT OF TRUMP’S MOUTH OR DESANTIS. THEY ARE PLAYING POLITICS WITH YOUR LIFE. YES, THEY ARE!
DO NOT SEND ANY PERSON BACK TO SCHOOL UNTIL YOU CAN VERIFY THAT YOUR STATE IS NOT AT A CRITICAL STATE AND ALL ARE STAYING HOME ETC, AS ABOVE.
2.
1. switch back to the safer First Phase
John Eftimiades
July 14, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Why is it that people or should I say the legal system have no recourse. This man is intentionally ordering policy that has and will continue to harm, disable, and kill innocent people. Why must we wait three years to vote him out. His actions need to be addressed today.
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