Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will ban the use of “vaccination passports” in the state. Across the US there are divided opinions regarding the use of this document, used to demonstrate that citizens who want to access events and mass gatherings of the public are already vaccinated.
“It is completely unacceptable that the government or the private sector impose the requirement to show proof of vaccine to simply participate in normal society,” said the governor who promised to sign an executive order explicitly prohibiting said certificate.
DeSantis, who was joined during his press conference by House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate Speaker Wilton Simpson, asked the Republican-led Legislature to send him a bill for his signature that would enshrine the matter in law.
The Floridian politician said that allowing governments and companies to demand vaccination tests would be “an unprecedented expansion” of public and private power.
DeSantis’ decision was announced at the same time that it announced that all adult citizens of Florida, over 40 years of age, will be eligible for vaccination, which broadens the range of people who will start taking the vaccine from 5 April.
As of this past Monday, 5.6 million doses of the three coronavirus vaccines had been administered in Florida, according to health statistics provided by the Florida Department of Health.
State records show that 2.52 million people have received the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose from Johnson & Johnson. In addition 3.07 million people have completed the series of vaccines.
The state of Florida reported that it accumulates 2,044,005 cases of coronavirus and 33,819 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
According to the Washington Post, the White House and several private companies in the United States are working to develop a vaccination passport standard that certifies that its bearer is immunized against COVID-19, an initiative that the European Union (EU) is also preparing.
In states like New York, with a Democratic governor, citizens who want to attend public events are already required to demonstrate that they are vaccinated.