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Despite the pandemic’s recent resurgence, DeSantis denies vaccine science and makes Disney less safe for visitors and Floridians alike.
Walt Disney World and the Pandemic
When talking about Walt Disney World and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, it’s usually the Reedy Creek Improvement District in Central Florida at the forefront. This time, it’s the pandemic. According to the Global COVID-19 Tracker, there is an infection uptick in the United States.
The Walt Disney Company has a presence in two states: California and Florida. In the Golden State, the pandemic shutdowns were extensive and followed general guidance, yet Florida took a different approach to theme park closures.
Walt Disney World attracts droves of tourists and locals despite the war on “woke” between the Walt Disney Company, the Florida Legislature, and Governor DeSantis. The politician was one of the first to drop restrictions. On the one hand, it kept Walt Disney World open. Conversely, it increased the risk for visitors to Central Florida.
DeSantis Makes Disney Less Safe Option
According to the New York Times, DeSantis spreads “vaccine skepticism” amongst the population in the latest news. The C.D.C. recommends that Americans six months and older receive a dose of the updated vaccine. Yet the governor who oversees Florida Republicans and impacts Walt Disney Parks and its attendees took a different route.
DeSantis Offered Dangerous Health Advice
Disney parks are far from the only part of the state that Governor DeSantis’ advice would impact. When he battled gender identity and expression, it moved Disney World in many ways. So did the Reedy Creek New Board. Yet rather than posing a risk to the Walt Disney Co., the DeSantis advice risks guests and visitors.
According to the Florida Governor, “I will not stand by and let the F.D.A. and C.D.C. use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots.” This advice contradicts the C.D.C. and the F.D.A., yet the announcement came alongside Dr. Joseph A. Ladapso, the surgeon general for the Florida department.
DeSantis Focuses on Economy Over Health
Even though the Florida Governor has encountered several roadblocks on the campaign trail, he’s used the handling of the virus in 2020 as a selling point. According to the Florida Governor, he kept Walt Disney World and consumer services operating by reopening the state far ahead of other states (and national powers).
While the governor doesn’t have the power to impact a citizen’s choice to get the vaccine, he says, “I can tell you here in Florida, we did not, and we will not allow the dystopian visions of paranoid hypochondriacs to control our health policies, let alone our state.”
The long-term impacts of this type of advice will show based on vaccination progress and, hopefully, not through a Walt Disney World outbreak or shutdown.
What do you think about DeSantis weighing in on the science of vaccines? Share in the comments below!