Anne Geggis
The state’s former director of the Emergency Management Division — who became known as the “Master of Disaster” — is going to be laser-focused on one disaster and one area for now.
Jared Moskowitz will serve as special adviser to Miami-Dade County for COVID-19 response,
County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the appointment on Twitter Thursday night.
“He will work closely alongside all our COVID leadership to advise on our vaccination, testing, and overall pandemic response strategy,” she wrote in the announcement.
Moskowitz, who goes by “MASKowitz” in his Twitter handle, responded that he was looking forward to it.
Thank you Mayor. I look forward to assisting the great work that @MiamiDadeCounty and @MayorDaniella has done in combating Covid 19. We are all in this together! #getvaccinated #WearAMask
— Jared MASKowitz 😷 (@JaredEMoskowitz) August 6, 2021
“We’re all in this together #getvaccinated #WearAMask,” he wrote.
His appointment, which pays $5,000 a month, came the same day Levine Cava announced county employees would be tested weekly for the virus, unless they opt out by showing proof of vaccination, the Miami Herald reported.
Since leaving his state post, Moskowitz has not let up on Twitter, advocating for masks and vaccination, in marked contrast to his former boss, Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has famously stood up for individuals’ rights to make their own decision about how they want to protect themselves from the virus.
Florida is currently one of the nation’s hotspots for new COVID-19 cases, recently breaking records for new cases and hospitalizations that were set before the vaccine became available.
Moskowitz launched his political career on the Parkland City Commission. The Democrat was elected State Representative in 2012 and served until 2019. DeSantis appointed Moskowitz to his state post that year, a rare cross party nod from the Republican Governor.
His logistical approach to disasters won praise first for the state’s response to four hurricanes and then, when COVID-19 hit. He was credited for getting testing sites open and protective gear to medical health care workers. Moskowitz resigned soon after leaders at the Department of Children and Families and Department of Management Services tendered their resignations.
Moskowitz said he will be using three specific tools to get the situation under control: vaccination, testing and use of masks. Right now, testing needs to be more widely available and lessening wait times to get a test are a crucial first priority.
“They are doing a great job,” he said of current COVID-19 mitigation efforts. “We need to find out where the gaps are.”
Not surprisingly, he’s also looking at making accommodations should a hurricane hit during this pandemic.
