LONGWOOD, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided an update Monday on the state’s supply and distribution of the coronavirus vaccine.
The governor said he’d like to see a “healthy competition” between hospitals getting the vaccine out to the public. He even issued a warning to hospitals that don’t get “shots in arms” quick enough.
“Hospitals that do not do a good job at getting a vaccine out, their allotment will be transferred to hospitals that are.”
DeSantis says he views hospitals as the “frontline” on getting the vaccine out, but would like to eventually begin converting some COVID-19 testing sites into vaccination sites.
When asked who is next in line after senior citizens, the governor didn’t deliver an answer that seemed ‘set in stone,’ but did say he views the workforce as a priority, citing how quickly he thinks teachers and employees of major Florida companies could get vaccinated. He said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine approval would be a vital step in speeding up that process.
Tampa Bay counties began the transition of administering the vaccine to the general public on Monday, starting with residents 65 and up. Unfortunately, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties saw major hiccups in handling the traffic into their website and phoneline.
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