Florida House Minority Co-Leader Evan Jenne says the state is at a disadvantage when it comes to public health. He says that's due to new laws passed last month during a special legislative session.
One law is meant to take down vaccine mandates that provide no exemptions for private-sector workers or government employees. Another reinforces the Parents' Bill of Rights to stop school districts from enacting student mask and vaccination requirements with no exemptions. Jenne says laws like these give Florida "concrete shoes" when responding to public health emergencies.
"Unfortunately, I think it will probably have a bit of a detrimental effect," Jenne says.
When asked about the new omicron variant, Jenne says Floridians need to wait to see how it affects people. He also says there's no turning back.
"We are what we are here in the state of Florida. And we're just going to have to see what happens," Jenne says.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website that the Omicron variant has not been identified in the U.S. to date. And taking measures to reduce the spread of infection, including getting a COVID-19 vaccine, is the best way to slow the emergence of new variants.
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