Gov. Ron DeSantis announced new legislation on Thursday to permanently ban gain-of-function research in Florida. After this move, Florida will be the first state in the U.S. to prohibit gain-of-function research.
DeSantis announces law to permanently ban COVID mandates and restrictions and ban gain of function research in Florida
“You remember, this gain of function had been going on […] [It] very likely led to the emergence of COVID-19 […] You should be held accountable. Where is the accountability for people like Fauci?” DeSantis said in a press conference.
According to the new law, it is not permissible for businesses or government entities to demand a vaccine passport or require individuals to take a COVID-19 test as a condition for entry into a business, employment, or continued employment.
“The purpose of them was not to safeguard your health. The purpose of them was to control your behavior,” the 44-year-old said.
“They wanted you to behave the way they thought that they were willing to use coercion to do it. So that was totally unacceptable.”
BREAKING: Florida becomes first state in the United States to formally ban gain-of-function research, Gov. Ron DeSantis announces pic.twitter.com/LzJonTwKWA
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 11, 2023
Florida’s new law protects against COVID-19 discrimination and gives physicians more rights
The law prevents any form of discrimination against an individual due to their COVID-19 vaccination status, post-infection recovery status, or refusal to take a COVID-19 test. It covers all vaccines that are authorized for emergency use, not just the ones for COVID-19. Furthermore, educational institutions are prohibited from mandating mask-wearing.
“They may be people that have a lot of credentials, but if they’re wrong, they’re wrong. And there is a right answer when it comes to this stuff. So we want to make sure that people are protected in Florida,” DeSantis said.
The bill also protects the freedom of speech for physicians. “It ensures that physicians can follow the data, not dictates. And we want our physicians practicing evidence-based medicine, we don’t want it to just defer to authority or to just follow the herd,” he stated, adding that “this is kind of the opposite of what states like California have done.”
Moreover, the legislation allows physicians and healthcare providers to decline the provision of healthcare services based on their personal beliefs. “Where would you rather practice as a physician, a place where you can make your own judgment or not?” the governor added.
