July 29, 2021

The Honorable Ron DeSantis

Office of the Governor Ron DeSantis
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Dear Governor DeSantis:

Over the last seven days, only two states had a higher COVID death rate than Florida. In my own County
of Miami-Dade, our best estimate is that over 530 people are so sick they need to be hospitalized and
the percent of those tested that are positive is also regularly exceeding 10%. Our hospital personnel
believe that well over half of those admitted are infected with the Delta variant, and that nearly all
those hospitalized seem to be among those currently unvaccinated. As bad as it is in Miami-Dade
County, it is much worse in other areas of the state, for instance, Duval, Baker and Nassau counties have
average case-rates far exceeding South Florida counties.

Although data is limited in light of recent State actions, we are still able to compare case rates in my
County and Florida, with the Nation, and it’s clear Florida, regrettably, leads in spreading this disease.
It is also likely, given our status as a destination state, that we are not merely spreading these very
contagious and deadly versions of COVID locally, but likely exporting it across the Nation and world.

This is obviously a disaster, and partly self-inflicted. Still, there are measures available, but we need your
leadership, especially to reconsider some recent policies. I urge you to:

• Restore the State’s COVID dashboard and resume providing all the information and data that
was previously available to the public and media so that our residents can be informed;
• Take efforts to determine whether Florida’s vaccination rates are accurate especially in light of
the huge volume of tourists and seasonal residents the State vaccinated;
• Allow local businesses to require proof of vaccination as a passport for participation in business
activity;
• Restore to local cities the authority to impose measures that protect residents, including mask
mandates.

We are clearly in the midst of a substantial resurgence of the COVID virus and, unfortunately, we are
flying blind. Your Department of Health discontinued the COVID dashboard, and stopped circulating
information presenting the various metrics and data points that so many of us relied on to understand
the state of community spread and evaluate potential countermeasures. There is no reason to withhold
data from the public about the state of the virus, as to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Keeping
everyone in the dark, especially in the midst of a virus surge, only leaves our residents more uninformed
and, therefore, more vulnerable.

With regard to vaccination rates, I am concerned that the State’s claimed percentages may be
inaccurate and creating a false sense of security among our residents. According to DOH data extracted
from the State’s platform for capturing who has been vaccinated, Floridashots, in nearly half of the zip
codes in my County more than 100% of the senior population has been vaccinated. Among all adults, 17
county zip codes reported well over a 100% vaccination rate. A handful even exceed 200%. Obviously,
we can’t vaccinate more residents than we have. The discrepancy may result from mistakenly including
in the count many thousands of tourists and visitors who received their shots here. Or they are simply
counting people in the wrong zip codes or have not updated population numbers. Although the data is
protected from public purview for confidentiality reasons, the State could easily resolve the
inconsistencies through random samplings. This would go a long way in calculating how many of our
residents actually remain at risk, where they are, and, therefore, how to reach them.

I believe efforts to outlaw vaccine “passports” in the name of personal freedom contributed to the
resurgence of the virus. There is a huge amount of misinformation about the need for vaccinations.
Some believe if they already had the virus, they don’t need the vaccine. Others have found internet
posts that claim erroneously that the vaccine is a bad idea. Many believe, falsely, they are simply too
young to worry. Our hospitals are filling up with those tragically misinformed and unvaccinated. This
population could be motivated to get their shots if proof of vaccination was a passport for certain
activities. While I understand the importance of letting people make their own decisions about their
own safety, that should also apply to people who run businesses and wish to choose to give their
customers and employees a safer environment. Even FOX news implemented a “passport” that requires
a vaccination in order to come to work maskless. Florida businesses, including cruise ships, should be
free to do the same.

Also, the decision to essentially outlaw local mask mandates has had disastrous repercussions as it fully
frustrated efforts to cabin the virus’ spread. In response to local governments’ attempts to get people to
wear masks, you have regularly pronounced that you won’t allow cities to shutter the economy. This is a
false choice, as I am unaware of any local government, including my own, that is trying to shutter the
economy. All we are seeking to do is get people to wear masks and be smart about physical distancing
so that we can actually promote a safer and more vibrant economy.

The following chart is instructive as it reflects hospitalizations in Miami-Dade County over the last year.
As you can see, our decision to impose a mask mandate was followed by a reversal of the rise in
hospitalizations; and, similarly, your decision to ban mask mandates was followed by a deadly surge in
the virus.

Finally, I respectfully urge you step back from your public ridicule of the CDC and the medical
community. You have the most powerful voice in our state and one of the most influential in the Nation.
And, statistically, the people that respect you the most are the ones most likely to balk at getting a
vaccine or wearing a mask, actions that are demonstrably lifesaving. If you simply became a more vocal
proponent for vaccinations and advocate for mask usage at this critical moment, I believe hundreds of
thousands would follow your lead. And undoubtedly thousands of lives would be saved.

Thank you for your service to our state,

Dan Gelber