Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended all COVID-19 emergency orders issued by local governments. Still, Sebastian officials will have to review the executive order before determining if and how it affects the city.
There are no mask mandates within the City of Sebastian.
“During any emergency, our businesses should be free from government mandates to close, and our schools should remain open for in-person instruction for our children,” DeSantis said during a news conference in St. Petersburg.
But Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, called the move a “risky proposition” as variants of COVID continue to surge.
The governor’s decision will also prohibit “vaccine passports.”
DeSantis also said people “have a right to participate in society, go to a restaurant, movie, a ballgame all these things without having to divulge this type of information.”
The Republican governor also questioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance to continue to wear a mask even if people have been fully vaccinated.
The CDC has encouraged Americans to get vaccinated and still recommends wearing masks in indoor public spaces.
However, the CDC eased its guidelines last week on the wearing of masks outdoors, stating Americans who are fully vaccinated don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers.
