State to issue $5,000 fines for those asking for COVID vaccine proof
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The state of Florida will start issuing $5,000 fines to businesses, schools and government agencies that require people to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Governor DeSantis signed a bill earlier this year that banned vaccine passports. The fines will begin on Sept. 16 if people are asked to show proof of a vaccine, reported the Associated Press.
“Promises made, promises kept,” DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske said Wednesday.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the state’s only statewide elected Democrat and a candidate hoping to challenge DeSantis for governor next year, was critical of the fines.
“Governor DeSantis is retaliating against Floridians who are trying to protect themselves and their communities from COVID-19,” Fried said in an emailed statement. “This not only goes against common sense — it’s also an insult to the free market principles that he claims to champion.”
Florida has been one of the hardest-hit areas of the US from the delta variant. The US Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 15,000 patients are currently hospitalized in Florida, up from about 1,800 in June.
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