FACT CHECK: Gov. DeSantis on COVID-19

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis said he plans to fight back against President Joe Biden’s new vaccine mandates for some workers.

DeSantis spoke during a veterans appreciation event in Ponte Vedra Beach Friday, calling the mandate “unconstitutional.”

“We have the responsibility to stand up for the Constitution,” he said, “People should not be cast aside because they make a medical decision for themselves. They should not lose their job. They should not be unable to put food on their table just because they made a different decision than the powers that we are demanding that they make.”

STORY: Florida DOH weekly COVID-19 report shows decrease in new cases

DeSantis went on to say there are 300% more cases in this country than a year ago when there were no vaccines at all.

Action News Jax fact-checked the Governor’s statement.

On Sept. 9, 2020, the 7-day average for new cases in the U.S. was almost 37,000.

This year, it’s almost 137,000. That’s a 370% increase, higher than what the Governor claimed.

If you look at the 7-day average for new cases in Florida year over year, we’ve seen a 560% increase in Florida. That is a greater increase than the nation overall.

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