Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back on the media for a question about people worrying that not enough is being done in Florida to fight the coronavirus following Super Bowl festivities in which people were seen not wearing masks.
“The media is worried about that, obviously,” DeSantis responded Wednesday to a journalist asking about the concerns over COVID-19 in the state.
“You don’t care as much if it’s a ‘peaceful protest’ … and then it’s fine,” DeSantis said. “You don’t care as much if they’re celebrating a Biden election. You only care about it if it’s people you don’t like. I’m a Bucs fan. I’m damn proud of what they did on Sunday night.”
Video circulated on social media showing Super Bowl attendees and partiers in Tampa not wearing masks, sparking an outcry from the media and others.
While coronavirus cases in the U.S. are dropping and vaccinations are increasing, this morning there are new concerns over last night’s #SuperBowl gatherings as potential super-spreaders and the dangers on new mutations of the virus. @tomcostellonbc has more. pic.twitter.com/FDOTbO7HFG
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 8, 2021
All these people will be heading back to their home states – we are never getting out of the house. https://t.co/q5Im6LN76m
— I too am not a cat (@LeslieMac) February 7, 2021
Democratic Tampa Mayor Jane Castor implemented a mask mandate in the city ahead of the big game on Sunday. She said after videos circulated of maskless fans that the “few bad actors will be identified, and the Tampa Police Department will handle it.”
DeSantis added during his Wednesday comments that the British variant of the coronavirus should not be an issue in the state because of vaccines.
“We have not seen any data or any evidence to suggest that these vaccines are not effective. So, if we get the seniors vaccinated, we’re going to be good,” he said.
Protests and riots were carried out during the summer and into election season despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning that people should practice social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
