Florida passes local bills for clash with Biden over vaccine rules

Washington, Nov 19 (Prensa Latina) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a step closer to a high-profile clash with the Biden administration over Covid-19 rules by passing legislation that would slap fines on employers with vaccination mandates, also barring schools from requiring students to be vaccinated or to wear masks.

According to DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate and a staunch ally of former president Donald Trump, the objective of this package of measures is to “protect jobs”, because according to regulations imposed by the White House all workers in companies with more than 100 employees must be vaccinated or undergo regular testing.

Washington announced that as of January immunization mandates for over 100 million private workers will take effect and companies failing to comply will be fined up to $14,000.

DeSantis repeated a misleading claim that vaccines do not protect from coronavirus infections.

The laws enacted mean that not even government entities can request vaccination certificates from anyone, including employees, or educational institutions from students.

Plus, DeSantis claims that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have jurisdiction over Florida, a process that according to local media could take several years.

In line with it, Florida sued the Joe Biden administration for forcing federal workers to get a vaccine before December 8.