White House report puts Florida in 'red zone,' stronger measures 'must happen now'
Report suggested public mask policies and restrictions on gatherings
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A recent White House Coronavirus Task Force report has designated Florida as a "red zone," in immediate need of increased mitigation efforts.
The nonprofit Center for Public Integrity made public the Dec. 6 report, which states that Florida has seen “stability in new cases, an increase in test positivity, and increasing hospitalizations and deaths.”
As part of increased precautions, the report suggests that the state begin to warn residents against any gatherings during December holidays.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The report also suggests aggressive testing along with “masks at all times in public.”
“Despite the severity of this surge and the threat to the hospital systems, many state and local governments are not implementing the same mitigation policies that stemmed the tide of the summer surges,” the report said. “That must happen now.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The report noted that European nations have seen positive results from “strong public and private mitigation,” though noted that schools remained open in those cases.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel recently joined a lawsuit filed by the Orlando Sentinel against Gov. Ron DeSantis for “failing to provide the weekly White House Coronavirus Task Force reports in a timely manner.”
The papers allege that DeSantis’ office did not provide any of the task force reports for the month of November.
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Fox News reached out to the Florida Department of Health for comment, which is pending.