On Tuesday, following another record breaking day of new COVID-19 cases in Florida, Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Governor DeSantis’ policies are no longer working and that he has lost control of the COVID-19 response, choosing to put the economy ahead of Floridians and our visitors safety.

This comes as Florida passes 80,000 cases of COVID-19 after Tuesday’s record high number of 2,783 new cases. The Governor has continued to blame an increase in testing, instead of revealing a comprehensive plan on how to mitigate the continuing spike in cases.

Read Commissioner Nikki Fried’s full statement below:

“Today’s record-high new cases makes it clear: Governor DeSantis has lost control of Florida’s COVID-19 response. His policies are simply not working, and he’s recklessly reopening Florida despite the data screaming for caution. Refusing to acknowledge the alarming patterns in cases, hospitalizations, and positivity is not only arrogant, but will cost lives, public health, and our economy.

“To our citizens, I implore you to wear masks and continue social distancing – and just because a place is open, doesn’t mean it’s safe to go there. To our local governments, please encourage your residents to stay home, mask up, and socially distance. If the Governor is unwilling to make the right decisions, then they must be made in our cities, our states, and our homes. We are in this together, and I will continue fighting on behalf of all Floridians.”