Florida’s top doctor refuses to wear a mask and is told to leave the meeting

MIAMI (AP) – Florida’s top health official was asked to leave a meeting after refusing to wear a mask on …

MIAMI (AP) – Florida’s top health official was asked to leave a meeting after refusing to wear a mask in the office of a state senator who told him she had a serious medical condition, officials have confirmed.

Florida Senate Leader Wilton Simpson, a Republican, on Saturday sent a note to senators about the incident in the office of Democratic State Senator Tina Polsky, asking visitors to the building to be respectful of social interactions. Polsky, who represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, had not yet published her breast cancer diagnosis.

Polsky told the Associated Press about the tense exchange with state surgeon Joseph Ladapo, which was first reported by the news site Florida Politics. She said Ladapo and two helpers were offered masks and were asked to wear them when they arrived for the Wednesday meeting, saying she was in a serious condition.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cancer patients are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 and may not build the same immunity to vaccines.

Ladapo had asked to meet her in Tallahassee as he seeks confirmation in the Senate after being named to the post by Governor Ron DeSantis last month.

“It was so shocking to me that he treated me this way,” Polsky said. “If he is a surgeon general for the next several years, I’m really worried about a future public health emergency and not being able to trust him for necessary guidance and proper scientific management.”

Ladapo offered to go outside, but the senator said she did not want to sit at the metal tables on a hot day as her office was nice and spacious. She said she asked if there was a reason he could not wear a mask, but he would not answer.

The Florida Department of Health did not respond to email requests for comment.

Democrats have opposed the appointment of Ladapo and criticized him for comments and actions related to the pandemic.

One day back in his job, Ladapo signed new rules that allow parents to decide whether their children should be quarantined or stay in school after being exposed to people who tested positive for COVID-19.

On Thursday at a press conference with DeSantis to oppose vaccination mandates, Ladapo said people were not familiar with the vaccines because the federal government has not been open about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, saying there was a “concerted effort” for to hide stories of people with side effects.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has received the full approval of the US Food and Drug Administration, which meets the high standards required for the vaccine to be considered safe. It has been administered to millions and has been shown to be effective against hospitalization and death. However, immunity to infection may diminish over time.

In the memo sent by Simpson to senators and their staff, he said that even though there is no mask mandate in the Senate, senators can request social distancing and masking within their offices.

“It should not require a cancer diagnosis for humans to respect each other’s comfort levels with social interactions during a pandemic,” he said. “What happened in Senator Polsky’s office was unprofessional and will not be tolerated in the Senate.”

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