Gov. Ron DeSantis says schools must open, he won’t issue mask mandate during Central Florida visit

MELBOURNE. Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis said again that he will not issue a mask mandate and that schools must reopen in August despite the fact that the state hit a record number of single-day deaths on Thursday.

DeSantis held a news conference Thursday at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne.

“We’re not going to restrict the businesses,” he said regarding a mask mandate. “I think if you look at the spread, it’s not really deriving from businesses as much as it’s deriving from home outbreaks and then family and friends. And that’s just the reality.”

During the news conference he said that health officials have received an influx of inquiries into blood donations after the governor urged the importance of convalescent plasma donations for COVID-19 patients.

The Florida Department of Health announced another 173 deaths statewide when it dropped its latest data Thursday morning, breaking the state’s previous record for coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.

Read: Coronavirus: 9-year-old girl dies of COVID-19 in Florida

Florida’s death toll for COVID-19-related illnesses now stands at 5,632.

DeSantis told Channel 9′s Shannon Butler that the case mortality rate in Central Florida is half the national average.

The governor continued to urge social distancing and adhering to safety guidelines to help drop the state’s numbers.

Watch DeSantis’ full news conference below:

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Cox Media Group