On Sunday, Dr. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on COVID-19, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union. He told Jake Tapper that there was no place for “politicization” when the nation was facing a health crisis. The governor of Florida Ron DeSantis and his team have been taking potshots at Dr. Fauci right from the beginning of lockdowns and the vaccine rollout.
When vaccines were rolled out last winter, they were referred to as “Fauci-Ouchies.” Now, a campaign website for Roy DeSantis in Florida has taken it further and has started selling merchandize that makes fun of masks, COVID-19 vaccines, and Dr. Fauci.
The website is selling T-shirts at $21 and a matching beverage cooler at $12 that have the same slogan: “Don’t Fauci my Florida.” They also sell another beverage cooler which quotes Ron DeSantis. It states: “How the hell am I going to be able to drink a beer with a mask on?”
When Fauci was asked about how he felt about the personal attacks on him he replied saying that whoever was attacking him was a reflection of the politicization of an issue that was actually a public health issue. He termed it as “unfortunate.”
He commented that they were attacking him personally as he was a visible person. He said that he was only articulating the proper public health practices that were recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and that “we should put all of that aside.”
Helen Aguirre Ferre, who is the executive director of the Republican Party of Florida describes the messages as “lighthearted fun.” In a statement to the Newsweek, she said that they viewed it as a great opportunity to have some lighthearted fun and to give DeSantis’ supporters a chance to feel even more connected with his message of keeping Florida free.
However, the COVID-19 situation in Florida is not lighthearted fun as the number of COVID-19 cases in the Sunshine State increased by 151,760. The death toll was 1,737 patients.
In an article the Orlando Sentinel mentioned that Advent Health system no longer had space in its morgues in 10 hospitals in five counties and the group was using rented, refrigerated coolers to store bodies of those who died from COVID-19.
