Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an Executive Order on Friday, prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccine Passports.
Last week DeSantis said the idea of vaccine passports was a nonstarter – and promised an executive order to ensure it would not happen.
“We’re not supportive of that. I think it’s something that people have certain freedoms and individual liberties to make decisions for themselves,” he told reporters.
He called it “completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society.”
DeSantis also said it was a bad idea to force people to give away their data to Big Tech for this purpose.
“You want the fox to guard the henhouse? I mean give me a break,” he added.
“I understand, kind of, how some folks can embrace the idea, and I’m not saying it’s all necessarily done for bad purposes, but I think ultimately it would create problems in the state,” he said.
DeSantis’s comments echoed remarks he made at a recent roundtable with a handful of scientists who have rejected the ideas promoted by Cuomo and others who insist on debilitating lockdowns and dubious mask mandates as the way to fight COViD-19.
“The vaccine passport is a terrible idea. We are definitely not going to require anything from the state’s perspective. That is totally off the table,” DeSantis said.
Executive Order 21-81 (Prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccine Passports) states:
No Florida government entity, or its subdivisions, agents, or assigns, shall be permitted to issue vaccine passports, vaccine passes, or other standardized documentation for the purpose of certifying an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status to a third party, or otherwise publish or share any individual’s COVID-19 vaccination record or similar health information.
Businesses in Florida are prohibited from requiring patrons or customers to provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business.
All executive agencies under my direction shall work to ensure businesses comply with this order. Any provision of Florida Statutes is hereby suspended solely to the extent it restricts a Florida agency from requiring compliance with this order as a condition for a license, permit, or other state authorization necessary for conducting business in Florida.
The requirements in this order do not otherwise restrict businesses from instituting COVID-19 screening protocols in accordance with state and federal law to protect public health, and nothing herein shall be construed to interfere with individuals’ rights to access their own personal health information under federal law.
This order is effective immediately and shall remain in effect for the duration of Executive Order 20-52, as extended.