Gov. DeSantis extends his ban on letting local leaders enforce COVID mask mandates

Local government leaders will remain powerless to put teeth into their mask mandates against COVID-19 anytime soon — Gov. Ron DeSantis this week extended his ban on enforcement of these measures.

In an executive order Wednesay, DeSantis decreed that the ban would last — “unless otherwise modified or rescinded” — for the duration of the public health emergency that he declared in March, as coronavirus began to spread in Florida.

The order acknowledges that the state “continues to suffer economic harm as a result of COVID-19-related closures,” but adds that “Floridians should not be prohibited by local governments from working or operating a business.”

The administration made the move quietly, posting the executive order on the governor’s official webpage but not mentioning it in any press release or on his Twitter or Facebook accounts.

Read more: https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2020/11/27/gov-desantis-extends-his-ban-on-letting-local-leaders-enforce-covid-mask-mandates/