Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis He may clash with one of the state’s largest industries, signing a law prohibiting businesses from asking customers if they are vaccinated against Covid-19
Cruise ship operators departing from Florida’s large southern ports say the order could make it difficult to safely return to the sea and threaten the state’s major economic momentum.
Republicans, under the influence of former President Donald Trump, are considering running for the 2024 presidential election at the expense of traditional conservative values such as free market capitalism, and others. He has pursued a cultural struggle that shakes the foundation. Choose to fight the company What they say undermines American values
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday Start work towards resuming the cruise For the first time in over a year since a large vessel became part of a large vessel Location of the first superspreader For the coronavirus.
Cruise ships are uniquely vulnerable to virus spread, as smaller cities are packed into a densely populated quarter. Therefore, in order to comply with the CDC guidance and to protect the safety of passengers and crew, some cruise liners require almost all passengers to be fully vaccinated.
But in Florida, the heart of the American cruise industry, this could be illegal as a law banning discrimination against unvaccinated customers was signed this month.
“In Florida, your personal choices about vaccination are protected and businesses and government agencies cannot deny service based on your decision,” DeSantis said in an executive order he had already issued. He talked about cultural law.
Travel industry analyst Patrick Shoals wants to reassure the cruise industry that it’s safe to return to an all-you-can-eat buffet 15 months later.
“It’s been a year of migraines and toothaches for the cruise industry. Now they’re finally ready to resume, and the Governor of Florida is basically playing chicken games with them,” Shawless said. Said.
The dispute can end in court because the cruise industry claims that state law does not apply because of federal regulations. In the meantime, companies may decide to proceed with plans to mandate vaccination, even as the number of violations in Florida increases.
“It might be cheaper to eat only fines,” Scholes said. “They let the boats fly and burn millions of dollars a day.”
Florida is by far the largest cruise embarkation point in the United States, home to the headquarters of several major cruise companies and major infrastructure, as vaccine passports are banned.
“I hope this doesn’t become legal or political football, but after all, cruise ships have motors, propellers, rudders, and for whatever reason in Florida. , God forbids us not to be able to operate in Florida, then there are other states we are operating in, and we can operate from the Caribbean for ships that are supposed to go to Florida “Masu,” CEO Frank del Rio said in a recent earnings announcement with investors and analysts.
“We certainly want that to happen. Everyone wants to do business outside Florida. It’s a very lucrative market,” said Del Rio. “But that’s a problem. It can’t be ignored, and I hope everyone is pushing in the same direction to want to resume cruising in a safe way.”
Another anonymous cruise industry executive warned Cruise Week in the industry newsletter that “it seems to prevent cruises from resuming” if Florida legislation is passed.
“Why is the business governor preventing the reopening of one of the state’s most important industries?” Asked executives.
Considered a strong presidential candidate if Trump doesn’t run, Desantis has been at the forefront of the Republican Party to move away from the business-focused message.
He recently signed the law Crack down on social media companies, A direct response from Trump’s ally to the website that chose to remove him from the platform. But in another example, after Key West residents voted for the overwhelming majority in a referendum, he sided with the cruise industry and stripped power from local jurisdiction. Limit the size of the cruise ship The Cruise Dock visited an island owned by a major Desantis donor.
DeSantis, who has been fighting for the cruise industry for a long time, said Sued CDC The masking and social distance guidelines he said are too strict. He says he’s not gaining momentum now that he’s in conflict with the industry over so-called vaccine passports.
“We enforce Florida law,” DeSantis said. Told reporters Friday, according to Orlando Sentinel. “That is, we have Florida law. We have a law that protects the privacy of people and citizens, and we intend to enforce it.”
Covid-19 vaccine PoliticalRepublicans are by far the largest group of Americans who “never” vaccinate. poll From the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. More than a quarter of Republican voters, 27%, said they refused to fire, and more than 9% said they would only fire when needed.
Other Florida politicians see things differently, Even some Republicans After being hit by a pandemic, he says it’s not worth the challenge to restore the state’s key tourism industry.
“We are ready to welcome passengers to the world’s cruise capital and bring tens of thousands of cruise employees back to work,” said Democrat Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Mayor. Promises to work with the Governor to find a way to move forward. “