GET VACCINATED.
DR. KAVITA PATEL, DR. PETER
HOTEZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> AS NEW YORKS GOVERNOR URGES
BUSINESSES TO TURN AWAY
UNVACCINATED CUSTOMERS,
FLORIDAS GOVERNOR IS BARRING
SCHOOLS FROM MANDATING THAT
CHILDREN WEAR MASKS.
THIS COMES AS THE SUNSHINE STATE
IS GRAPPLING WITH A SURGE IN
CASES AND HOSPITALIZED COVID
PATIENTS.
JOINING ME NOW IS FLORIDAS
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE AND
CONSUMER SERVICES WHO IS RUNNING
AGAINST INCUMBENT RON DeSANTIS
FOR GOVERNOR.
COMMISSIONER FREED, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR COMING TO "THE
REIDOUT."
LET ME READ A TWEET THAT YOU PUT
OUT IF I CAN FIND IT HERE ON MY
SHEET.
YES.
YOU PUT IT OUT TODAY.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, NIKKI
FREED SAYS.
GOVERNOR DeSANTIS NEEDS TO ISSUE
AN EMERGENCY ORDER FOR COVID-19.
TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
WHAT WOULD THIS EMERGENCY ORDER
TODAY?
>> THE EMERGENCY ORDER WOULD
ALLOW US TO PULL DOWN ADDITIONAL
FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE OUR
TESTING BACK HERE IN THE STATE
OF FLORIDA AS WELL AS MORE
VACCINATION LOCATIONS.
RIGHT NOW WERE SEEING A SURGE,
AS YOUR GUESTS WERE JUST TALKING
ABOUT IN THE EARLIER PART OF
YOUR SHOW.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THE PROBLEM IS,
IS THAT OUR GOVERNOR HAS PUT HIS
HEAD IN THE SAND AND LEFT THE
STATE OF FLORIDA AND ABANDONED
US.
SO WE NEED HIM TO START TAKING
THIS SERIOUSLY.
HE STOPPED TWO MONTHS AGO GIVING
DAILY REPORTING NUMBERS TO THE
PEOPLE OF OUR STATE OF WHERE WE
ARE ON THE NUMBER OF CASES, THE
HOSPITALIZATION.
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER WOULD SAY
FLORIDIANS, TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.
PLEASE GO OUT AND GET THE
VACCINES.
HERE ARE THE LOCATIONS FOR THE
TESTING SITES.
HERE IS INCREASED LOCATIONS FOR
VACCINATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS GOVERNOR IS
MORE PREOCCUPIED WITH RUNNING
FOR PRESIDENT IN 2024 AND NOT
TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY.
>> COMMISSIONER FRIED, THE THING
THAT I FIND MOST OUTRAGEOUS IS
THAT THE GOVERNOR IS MAKING IT
IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE FOR
LOCALITIES TO IMPOSE OR
INSTITUTE MASK MANDATES IN ORDER
TO PROTECT THEIR OWN CITIZENS.
IS HE BASING THAT JUST ON PURE
POLITICS OR ON SOME SCIENCE THAT
WE DONT KNOW ABOUT?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE
QUESTION SHOULD BE ADDRESSED
LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW, IT SHOULDNT BE ABOUT
MANDATING MASKS OR NOT MAN
DATING MASKS.
LAST YEAR WE DIDNT HAVE THE
TOOL IN OUR SHED OF THE
VACCINATIONS.
WE HAVE IT NOW.
WE NEED TO BE HAVING BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT OF PEOPLE ACROSS OUR
STATE, ACROSS OUR COUNTRY,
COMING TOGETHER, DEMOCRATS,
REPUBLICANS, INDEPENDENTS,
EMPHASIZING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS
TO GET THE VACCINES AND TO GET
IT NOW.
AND SO WHEN HE DOES THINGS LIKE
THIS AND FLIRTS WITH
ANTI-VAXXERS AND ANTI-MASKERS,
WHAT HES DOING IS HES
SIGNALING TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR
STATE, DONT TAKE THIS
SERIOUSLY.
DONT FOLLOW THE SCIENCE.
DONT FOLLOW THE EXPERTS.
AND THATS THE CONVERSATION THAT
WE NEED TO BE HAVING.
ITS HOW WE COME TOGETHER,
REMESSAGE WHAT NEEDS TO BE GOING
ON RIGHT NOW HERE IN THE STATE
OF FLORIDA TO PROTECT OUR KIDS.
WE KNOW THE NUMBERS ARE
INCREASING WHEN IT COMES TO
HOSPITALIZATION, NOT JUST FOR 18
AND ABOVE, BUT UNDER 18.
WE ALSO KNOW THIS, THAT LAST
YEAR IT WAS OUR LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AND OUR LOCAL
DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND
CORPORATIONS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES ACROSS THE STATE THAT
STOOD UP AND LED WHEN HE HAD A
HANDS-OFF APPROACH.
HE FLIPS OUT DURING CRISES, AND
SO NOW HES HANDCUFFED THEM TO
NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT
FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES AND COUNTIES ALL
ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE DIFFERENT.
THATS WHY THEY HAVE LOCAL
ELECTED OFFICIALS TO KNOW WHATS
RIGHT FOR THEIR OWN SPECIFIC
COMMUNITY.
AND HES HANDCUFFED THEM TO NOT
BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEIR OWN
COMMUNITIES.
>> COMMISSIONER FRIED, WE HAVE
LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT, BUT
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE IN
FLORIDA WHO ARE HESITANT TO GET
THE VACCINE?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM TO
CONVINCE THEM OR AT LEAST GET
THEM A LITTLE STEP CLOSER TO
GETTING THE VACCINE?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD
PLEAD WITH THEM.
WE KNOW THAT VACCINES WORK.
WE KNOW THAT ITS STOPPING THE
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS ACROSS THE
ENTIRE WORLD.
AND SO WHAT I SAY TO THEM IS NOT
JUST DO IT FOR YOURSELF, DO IT
FOR YOUR CHILDREN, DO IT FOR
YOUR PARENTS, DO IT FOR YOUR
GRANDPARENTS, DO IT FOR OUR
ECONOMY, DO IT FOR THE NURSES
AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT
ARE ON THE FRONT LINES THAT ARE
PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK
EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE YOURE
NOT GETTING VACCINATED.
WE KNOW 95% OF HOSPITALIZATIONS
ARE BY THOSE THAT ARE NOT
VACCINATED.
PLEASE, PUT YOURSELF INTO THE
SHOES OF THOSE PARENTS THAT ARE
TRYING TO PUT THEIR KIDS BACK
INTO SCHOOL.
DO RIGHT BY YOUR NEIGHBORS, DO
RIGHT BY YOUR COMMUNITY, GO GET