url=https://news.yahoo.com/florida-governor-ron-desantis-accused-180518736.html]Florida governor Ron DeSantis accused of ‘killing spree’ after extending ban on cities from imposing own mask mandates[/url]

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been accused of overseeing a “killing spree”, after he extended a ban on cities in the state imposing their own mask mandates.

On Wednesday, Mr DeSantis extended an executive order issued in September, which prevented local governments from fining residents who refused to wear face masks, or from closing restaurants not complying with coronavirus measures.

The decision on 25 September prompted the start of the state’s third phase of pandemic measures, which allowed restaurants and bars to open at 100 per cent capacity.

Florida Democratic officials criticised the governor for the extension of the executive order on Wednesday, amid a spike in cases in the state.

Chris King, the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, quote tweeted a local news story about the decision, adding: “Alternate headline: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Continues Killing Spree.”

Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the decision “deeply frustrating” in a series of tweets on Wednesday evening.

“Bipartisan governors nationwide are putting mask orders in place as one of the best tools we have to fight #COVID19.

“It’s deeply frustrating that @GovRonDeSantis continues to block local actions and make it harder for local leaders to keep our communities safe,” the mayor wrote.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been accused of overseeing a “killing spree”, after he extended a ban on cities in the state imposing their own mask mandates.

On Wednesday, Mr DeSantis extended an executive order issued in September, which prevented local governments from fining residents who refused to wear face masks, or from closing restaurants not complying with coronavirus measures.

The decision on 25 September prompted the start of the state’s third phase of pandemic measures, which allowed restaurants and bars to open at 100 per cent capacity.

Florida Democratic officials criticised the governor for the extension of the executive order on Wednesday, amid a spike in cases in the state.

Chris King, the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, quote tweeted a local news story about the decision, adding: “Alternate headline: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Continues Killing Spree.”

Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the decision “deeply frustrating” in a series of tweets on Wednesday evening.

“Bipartisan governors nationwide are putting mask orders in place as one of the best tools we have to fight #COVID19.

“It’s deeply frustrating that @GovRonDeSantis continues to block local actions and make it harder for local leaders to keep our communities safe,” the mayor wrote.

Last week, a bipartisan group of Florida mayors pleaded with Mr DeSantis to allow mask mandates to be enforced in areas across the state, according to Forbes.

The governor rejected their plea..

Florida is the largest state in the US to have lifted a majority of its coronavirus restrictions and is one of only 13 that have not issued statewide mask mandates.

It has seen a spike in coronavirus cases over the last couple of months, as the number of Covid-19 infections reported in a week has tripled since Mr DeSantis lifted restrictions, according to CNN.

Last week, the state recorded 53,000 positive tests, which was three times more than the week before Mr DeSantis’ executive order in late September.

The governor has not addressed the increase in cases, and has only tweeted about Covid-19 five times since election day on 3 November.

Since the start of the pandemic, Florida has recorded more than 962,000 Covid-19 cases and at least 18,253 deaths.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 12.7 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached 262,266.

The Independent has contacted Mr DeSantis’ office for comment.

So what's your take on this?

Calling it a ‘killing spree’ seems a bit hyperbolic. I accidentally walked into Food 4 Less yesterday without a mask, I was half way through the store before I realized it. I had it in my pocket so I just put it on at that point.
If the people saying ‘killing spree’ think I should face criminal charges for that ... I'll make them let you fuck em in the ass.

It's a little extreme ....
But there was a club that was busted this week for having over 500 people in it maskless ...

Florida isn't exactly trying to curb this shit ...

Well clubs and other popular venues seem like the main problem with isolating people by law. What are you going to do shut them down? Obviously all the people involved will rebel making things even worse for authorities and maybe the public as well.

In RI they have pretty much limited and blocked everything after 9pm-ish ....
We're about to enter a "2 week pause" (read as 'state-wide quarrantine') ...

We'll see what happens ...

Wow, I haven't heard of any changes here, I should look about.

I'm not usually out after 9 myself, but I expect I would have no problem doing so. That is if I haven't had many beers yet. (I would probably be on a beer run if so). hehehe

Yeah, that's being shut down too (after 9ish) ...

Well maybe curtailing that and similar activities are the whole point. Maybe little to do with Covid. More to do with public control. I was thinking it a bit strange that Ca and Fl both implemented the same regulations at exactly the same time. Hard to imagine that these night time regulations are really aimed at Covid.

Now over time people will be trained, they hope.

 

Possibly ...
New priz-o-dint, new (world order) rules?

Hardly a new world order. Depending on how you look at it, it's been around for a very long time slowly gaining power. But clearly this iteration has been working on it since at least a little before 1913. 

Hahahaha ....

I don't think the timing is that strange; all the indicators are trending upwards around the country: https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america?view=infections-testing&tab=trend&test=infections Even if you look at state-level data, it's trending up.

Blanket curfews at 9 PM or whenever are basically an admission by the government that they can't actually enforce capacity regulations and that they're targeting the hours where people commit the most violations (e.g. drunk people packing bars). So all responsible establishments close in accordance with Governors' orders and they chase the dopes that are throwing underground club parties. I think the limited enforcement ability of the government is overall a positive thing.

Also: with all of the cameras/facial monitoring/etc. bullshit these days, normalizing mask use is awesome.

Agreed ...