After Florida added 174 more COVID-19 related deaths Wednesday, surpassing 10,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried released the following statement:

“It didn’t have to be this bad. My heart is with the many Florida families as we mourn the loss of more than 10,000 Floridians who died at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic. Today is a solemn reminder that leadership matters. Let’s be clear: President Trump and Governor DeSantis have failed Floridians. Six months into this pandemic, the President still does not have a plan to fight the virus and our Governor continues to ignore the science, failing to take commonsense actions to protect Florida families and workers. And let’s not forget the devastating economic impact this pandemic poses on our state; the longer we go without a real plan to end this pandemic, the more pocketbooks of working families that suffer. On top of that, the Trump Administration continues to put Floridians’ health care at risk, working every day to dismantle the ACA in the courts and rob Americans’ of their health care in the midst of a global pandemic.

“Today is a somber reminder not only of what our leaders have failed to do, but also that those in elected office must do more to protect our communities and help Florida build back better. Joe Biden has a real plan to combat this public health crisis and get our state back on track. We cannot bring back these Floridians, but we must honor their memories with action and do everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19.”