Gov. DeSantis falsely says no coronavirus victims under 25

TAMPA (WFLA/CNN) – Florida’s governor is under fire for falsely claiming COVID-19 hasn’t killed anyone under 25 years old.

Governor Ron DeSantis made the comment Thursday while discussing a timeline for reopening schools in his state.

“I don’t think nationwide there’s been a single fatality under 25. For whatever reason, it just doesn’t seem to threaten, you know, kids. And we lose in Florida five to ten kids a year for the flu. This one, for whatever reason, much more dangerous if you’re 65 and plus than the flu, no doubt about that. If you’re younger, it just hasn’t had an impact. So that should factor into how we’re viewing this.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four people between the ages of 15 and 24 have died from coronavirus.

One child under four years old has also died. None of those deaths were in Florida.

Young people tend to display less severe symptoms when they have the virus, but they can still pass it on to others.

Critics also blasted DeSantis last month when he refused to shut down the state’s beaches as students descended on them for spring break.