Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) applauded the Special Olympics 2022 USA Games for dropping their ... [+]
Welcome to Florida. The Special Olympics, which is scheduled to hold its 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida, from June 5 through 12, had a Covid-19 vaccination requirement for its participating athletes. That’s “had,” until the Florida Department of Health threatened Special Olympics International with a $27.5 million fine via a June 2 letter.
Why would the Sunshine State fine the world's largest sports organization for those with intellectual or physical disabilities a sunny $27.5 million? Well, the oh-so-fine letter claimed that the Special Olympics requesting proof of vaccination was in “violation of Florida law.” The letter indicated that “Section 381.00316(1) Florida Statutes, prohibits a business entity, which includes a charitable organization, from requiring any patron or customer certifying Covid-19 vaccination or post-infection recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business entity.”
Jay O'Brien, a reporter for ABC News provided what appears to be a copy of this “special” letter from the Florida Department of Health in the tweet thread below:
Betcha didn’t have “threaten Special Olympics” on your 2022 Florida Bingo Card. Or maybe you did. O'Brien’s tweet thread including a screen shot of a Special Olympics post that stated, “We don’t want to fight. We want to play,” as you can see below:
Three days before the start of the 2022 USA Games wouldn’t have been a whole lot of time for anyone to come up with a sound legal strategy and response to the threat. Apparently, the Special Olympics doesn’t have a spare $27.5 million laying around to pay the fine or the money, time, and effort that it would take for a legal battle against the Florida government over this potential fine. The fine and not so dandy letter to the Special Olympics International stated that the Florida Department of Health is “authorized to impose a fine of $5,000 per each individual and separate violation 381.00316(1) Florida Statutes.” Because that’s what you want a Department of Health to do, right, fine the Special Olympics for trying to implement a public health measure? Now it’s not completely clear how the Department arrived at the $27.5 million number and how many people may have actually complained about the Special Olympics Covid-19 vaccine requirement. For example, did the Department factor in people who readily agreed to the vaccination requirement into their calculations?
Regardless, that same day, the Special Olympics, Inc. announced that they were “lifting the vaccine requirement for delegation members attending the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games being held in Orlando, Florida, June 5-12, as required by state of Florida officials on May 27, based upon the Florida Department of Health’s interpretation of Florida law.” Had the Special Olympics proceeded with the Covid-19 vaccination requirements, they could have been left in a fine mess, so to speak. Thus, this seemed more a legal and economic decision than a science-based or a what’s right one. That’s what happens when someone threatens you with a $27.5 million fine with less than three days to make a decision.
O'Brien’s tweet thread also mentioned a press conference being held by Governor Ron DeSantis (R), which you can see in a video accompanying the following tweet from DeSantis:
As you can see, DeSantis referred to himself in the third person when he tweeted that “Gov. DeSantis Applauds Special Olympics for Dropping Vaccine Mandate.” The tweet didn’t add, “after his Department of Health threatened the Special Olympics with a $27.5 million fine.” Is there a word for applauding someone after that person yielded to your threat?
Was the threat from the Florida Department of Health truly an attempt to protect the health of people or was it yet another example of the politicization of the Covid-19 response? In other words, did the following tweet from Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried get to the bottom of the situation, so to speak:
Congratulations state of Florida. You have successfully threatened the Special Olympics and forced them to drop a public health measure designed to protect people against Covid-19. As the Special Olympics website explains, “The vaccine will help protect you from getting Covid-19. If you still get infected after you get vaccinated, the vaccine works to prevent serious illness. By getting vaccinated, you also help protect people around you.” Again vaccination is not just a personal decision. Getting vaccination may protect not only you but those around you. Remember all that, “we’re in it together” stuff?
Moreover, a 2001 publication in the Journal of Athletic Training described how Special Olympics athletes may have chronic medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and asthma. Such conditions could make one even more susceptible to severe Covid-19 outcomes.
This certainly ain’t the first time DeSantis has railed against scientific evidence-backed measures to control the spread and impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For example, as I reported for Forbes back in March, DeSantis, a 43-year-old man, scolded several high school students for wearing face masks at an indoor press conference. The next month, I covered for Forbes how Florida was leading 20 states in legal action to fight federal face mask requirements for those taking public transit.
Meanwhile, Florida has been having an upswing in Covid-19 cases with a 19% increase in reported Covid-19 cases, a 39% increase in Covid-19-related hospitalizations, and a 1% increase in Covid-19-related deaths over the past 14 days, according to the New York Times. Among all 50 states, over the past seven days, Florida has had the second most reported Covid-19 cases (48) per 100,000 people and second most total Covid-19-related deaths per day (21.9), based on data from the New York Times. Throughout the pandemic, Florida has had a total of at least 74,588 Covid-19-related deaths, the third most among all 50 states. All of this doesn’t exactly scream good control of the SARS-CoV-2 and going in the right direction, unless, of course, you are shaped like a sphere and have spikes protruding from your body.
So let’s get this straight. The Special Olympics 2022 USA Games, which will include those particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, will be held in Orlando, Florida, in a state that’s currently experiencing an upswing in Covid-19 cases and has ranked among the worst states in the U.S. in terms of Covid-19 cases and deaths. And the Special Olympics tried to enforce Covid-19 vaccination requirements to protect participants but the Florida Department of Health, with an emphasis on the word “Health,” won’t allow them to do so. Does that seem like a fine situation to you?
