Haley Brown
After criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis for scaling back public reporting of COVID-19 data and instituting her own public COVID-19 briefings, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is now accusing DeSantis of delaying the state’s COVID-19 reporting to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fried continued Monday with her independent COVID-19 briefings in the absence of daily data from the Florida Department of Health.
But there were no new COVID-19 numbers to share, Fried said, because the state Health Department has not sent updated COVID-19 data to the CDC since Friday.
“Our Governor, the Florida Department of Health, should be giving daily reporting numbers. It’s 2:30 on Monday, we have nothing reported since Friday,” Fried said.
“Until which time the Department of Health releases their numbers to the CDC, we don’t have ours,” Fried explained.
The state’s lag in sending COVID-19 data to the CDC, according to Fried, is at DeSantis’ direction.
In a tweet after the press conference Fried, from her campaign’s Twitter account, said the lack of data was “by choice of the governor.”
Today's Florida COVID update is without new data, by choice of the governor.
So I'm asking him to immediately issue an emergency order to draw in federal resources, report daily, & join me in urging everyone to get vaccinated so we can end this pandemic. Video via @FOX13News. pic.twitter.com/JZUWrIYF6e
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) August 2, 2021
At DeSantis’ direction, the state Health Department moved to weekly COVID-19 reporting in June. But as far as the Governor directing the department to delay COVID-19 data, that’s not even possible, according to a Health Department spokesperson.
Communications Director Weesam Khoury said in a written statement the data is automatically sent from the department to CDC and any delays are due to processing on the CDC’s end.
“This is absolutely inaccurate and baseless. The Florida Department of Health routinely and automatically reports COVID-19 data Monday through Friday. Public health surveillance and controlling the spread of infectious diseases have always been core functions of the Department. That has not changed,” read Khoury’s statement in part.
Khoury also said the CDC, starting June 28, stopped requesting weekend data and instead asks states to send cumulative COVID data on Mondays.
DeSantis’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, wrote in a text message, in part:
“Governor DeSantis does not interfere with DOH’s COVID data collection and reporting. This is a long-time conspiracy theory that is often repeated by the Governor’s critics without evidence.”
Fried, also at Monday’s press conference, called on DeSantis to declare a state of emergency to help draw federal dollars to the state to deal with the surge in COVID cases. She pointed to data from the Florida Hospital Association that showed a record-breaking number of coronavirus hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.
“I’m asking our Governor to please declare a state of emergency so our state can stand up more testing and more vaccination sites using federal dollars,” Fried said.
DeSantis in 2020 declared a state of emergency over the COVID-19 crisis, but allowed that order to expire in late June.
Fried also criticized DeSantis for signing an executive order last week saying schools could not require students to wear masks next school year.
“The Governor should be doing what I’m doing: Promoting vaccines, going across our state having these real conversations with our communities that their numbers are through the roof — especially in our rural communities — not tying the hands of our local governments and our local school boards, who are just trying to do right by their people,” Fried said.
Information on vaccines in Florida, including locations of vaccination sites, can be found through the Florida Department of Health vaccine locator.
12 comments
Brian Staver
August 2, 2021 at 5:18 pm
Go get them Nikki.
Andrew Finn
August 2, 2021 at 5:36 pm
Get ’em Nikki — I would put nothing past Emperor DeSantis when it comes to this virus. I figure next he will issue another executive edict forbidding people from dying from the virus to curb the death figures. The “Florida Fuhrer” will stop at nothing to push his own distorted beliefs on us all.
Charlotte
August 2, 2021 at 6:00 pm
HI Andrew,
Yet another displaced Californian?
Feel free to read my comments to Brian.
Why not send Fraudulent Biden a message and tell him to close the border instead? Over two million illegal aliens in the US already. But you wouldn’t know that would you? Google and co. have you in a censorship bubble of ignorance that has had the same effect as what the Chinese people are subject to by the CCP run media in China.
If you don’t like freedom leave.
All the best
C
Charlotte
August 2, 2021 at 5:50 pm
Hi Brian,
Here’s an idea, pack your stuff and move to New York or California. You’ll fit right in there.
You are also welcome to hide under the bed from the virus that has a similar death rate to a bad flu season.
Just in case you weren’t aware, there’s a whole new world beyond the censorship platforms of Google and I suggest you explore it. The truth is out there but if you aren’t capable of doing your own research and “following the ACTUAL science,” as opposed to putting your faith in Fraud-ci’s lies, I’ll pray for you to wake up.
In the meantime, by all means, feel free to believe the same people who have routinely lied to you for the past 4 years.
Speaking of which, I assume you missed the lengthy PDF memo from FDA which stated the PCR tests because they can’t tell the difference between COVID and the flu. Of course, those of us who followed the science knew that 18 months ago, but better late than never. Feel free to file this under “yet another fact CNN won’t tell you”.
Bless you.
C
Ocean Joe
August 2, 2021 at 6:36 pm
Charlotte, who just stepped off the Mayflower, telling everybody who disagrees with her to go back to where they came from.
The Indians must have loved her.
Tom
August 2, 2021 at 9:50 pm
LMAO.
Fraud is a liar
Fraud endorsed DeSantis positions.
She supports non lockdowns
She supports no mask mandates.
America’s Governor Wins! It’s over.
She’s a real fraud!
LMAO:
Phil Morton
August 3, 2021 at 2:16 am
FDOH has become just another mouthpiece for DeSantis. Texas has continued reporting cases and deaths by county daily. We need an independent health department before it’s too late.
Tom
August 3, 2021 at 7:15 am
Your a joke Phil.
All you aristocrats are lost.
Fraud supports no lockdown position and no masks mandates. She supports the Governor’s positions.
It’s over. DeSantis wins!
Tom
August 5, 2021 at 7:53 pm
LMAO
FP hardly a Repub or DeSantis publication. Just being fair upsets Dems,
Jmjtusa
August 3, 2021 at 10:25 am
It’s a good thing that we have such a pro-active Agriculture Commissioner, for she really has become adept at slinging the bull(sh*t)
Bonnie Cauley
August 3, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Thank you for stepping up Nikki.
Tom
August 3, 2021 at 7:41 pm
She’s an ignorant fool.
Just throws crap against the wall, whoever gets hit so be it. It’s disgraceful.
The aristocrat party are bunch of Manchurians.
Fraud has admitted publicly that she supports America’s Governor position on
No lockdowns and No mask mandates.
It’s over, DeSantis prevails. All you Dems got
Sold out.
Just saying.
Comments are closed.