Florida Phoenix by Issac Morgan
February 27, 2020
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Thursday that the state is taking all precautions and working with local health departments to prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak.
But reporters at a news conference questioned DeSantis about why the Florida Department of Health has not been transparent.
And Democratic lawmakers and others have continued to ask why the state is not disclosing who is being tested for the disease. Currently, the state is focusing only on confirmed coronavirus cases, of which there are none in Florida.
The Senate’s Democratic Caucus on Thursday hand-delivered a letter to the governor, demanding explicit answers to questions related to preparedness in Florida in light of a potential outbreak. The questions include whether the state has enough face masks for the public; protocols for seniors at assisted living facilities and nursing homes; and emergency plans at schools. Read the full letter: 02-27-20 Covid-19
Also Thursday, Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who represents a part of Miami-Dade County, said that the issue is the “management of public information from the governor’s office, and the department of health.”