Seven Democrats who represent South Florida in the House are warning Gov. Ron DeSantis they have serious concerns about trying to reopen the state during the coronavirus pandemic.
Reps. Ted Deutch, Louis Frankel, Alcee Hastings, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Donna Shalala and Frederica Wilson made their concerns known in a Friday letter to DeSantis, a Republican, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
South Florida has been the hardest hit area in the state. Limited reopening of the state in the counties outside southeast Florida began on Monday.
In the letter, the seven lawmakers acknowledged "the tremendous burden placed on the economy by stay-at-home orders and closed businesses."
However, they urged DeSantis to "prioritize the health and safety of Floridians above all else. A rushed reopening may very well serve only to increase the human loss caused by an already historic public health crisis, as states moving forward with reopening are seeing increases in new COVID-19 cases."
They said reopening is premature and maintained there has not been enough testing, according to the Sun Sentinel.
"Without all pieces in place, it is unacceptable to reopen the state and expose our population to increased risk of infection," they wrote.
DeSantis announced late last month that Florida has flattened the coronavirus curve without "draconian orders." He praised residents for doing a "great job."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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