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- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will ban vaccine passports.
- It comes after reports that President Biden was pushing efforts to develop vaccine passports.
- “We are not supporting doing any vaccine passports in the state of Florida,’ DeSantis said.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he issue an executive order forbidding businesses from requiring so-called vaccine passports across the state.
DeSantis said at a press conference on Monday that he would introduce “an executive function” designed to prevent businesses from refusing to serve customers who were unable to prove they had been vaccinated, while seeking support from the Republican legislature to enshrine the act into law.
DeSantis was speaking after reports that the Biden administration was co-ordinating efforts by private companies and federal agencies to develop a scheme that will allow people to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to gain access to some businesses, offices, or restaurants.
“We are not supporting doing any vaccine passports in the state of Florida,” he said at a press conference on Monday which was broadcast by news station 10 Tampa Bay.
“It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society.
“You want to go to a movie theatre, should you have to show [a vaccine passport]? No. You want to go to a game, should you have to show that? No. You want to go to a theme park? No. We’re not supportive of that.”
The scheme could be used to allow people entry to sports bars, restaurants, and music venues, and to travel abroad.
DeSantis made the comments about vaccine passports at a press conference at the State Capitol where he signed a separate bill into law designed to shield businesses and schools from lawsuits related to the coronavirus pandemic, The Hill reported.
Vaccine passports are being developed or introduced in dozens of countries around the world and have been touted as a means for businesses that were shut during the pandemic to reopen safely.
DeSantis last week rejected the idea of introducing a lockdown in Florida after President Joe Biden said that more national restrictions might be required if the public was not “vigilant.”
“To even contemplate doing any type of lockdown, honestly it’s insane,” DeSantis said.
He said: “That’s not gonna happen in the state of Florida. We’re gonna continue doing what works, but under no circumstances would we entertain anything of the sort.”