DeSantis vows to take executive action against ‘vaccine passports’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantis DeSantis hires veteran GOP agent for 2022 re-election campaign: DeSantis report pushes back CDC’s ‘baseless’ order for cruise ships Where schools are back and kids are learning virtually MORE (R) vowed to take executive action this week by banning “vaccine passports” that businesses and local governments could eventually require to show digital or physical proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

The governor of Florida said at a press conference Monday that he would take action with “an executive function, an emergency function” against vaccine passports and asked the Republican state legislature to draft an bill banning such passports.

“We’ve always said we want to provide it for everyone, but mandate it for none,” DeSantis said in Tallahassee. “And that was something that while it was advisable to take especially if you’re vulnerable, we weren’t going to force you to do it.”

“It is totally unacceptable that the government or the private sector impose an obligation on you to present proof of vaccine just to participate in normal society,” he added.

DeSantis said he believes people “have certain freedoms and individual freedoms” to decide whether to get the vaccine and has expressed privacy concerns if such a program is launched.

“Are you going to do this and what, give all this information to a big company?” said the governor. “Do you want the fox to guard the henhouse?” I mean, give me a break.

The governor’s press conference followed his signing of a law protecting businesses and schools from COVID-19 lawsuits. DeSantis has previously expressed disapproval of vaccine passports, which some countries, including Denmark, have already started to implement.

New York was the first state in the United States to announce its vaccine passport program called Excelsior Pass which will use a QR code to enter different places.

Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser on COVID-19, said earlier Monday that the federal government was not “watching” himthe role of place of creation of a passport, nor of place of storage of citizens’ data. “

“We see this as something the private sector is doing and will do,” he said, stressing that the government plans to ensure equitable access and confidentiality to these programs.

“It’s important to us, and it will be – we’ll be very clear on how this will happen, that the guidelines that I just spoke of are part of that process,” he added.

White House press secretary Jen psakiJen Psaki The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden to talk about infrastructure in the middle of the border, voting controversies Biden under pressure to spell out Cuba policy Duckworth not ruling out running for president: ‘Maybe if it’s good for the country ” MORE reiterated Slavitt’s comments at a press briefing, adding that there will be no “centralized, universal federal vaccination database” and “no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination certificate.” “