Criticism continues over clinic sites in Charlotte and Manatee. The Manatee site has received much of the focus. A clinic in the Kings Gate community of Port Charlotte is also under the microscope.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing bipartisan accusations of playing politics with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Southwest Florida.
The criticism stems from DeSantis’ recent selection of COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic sites in Charlotte and Manatee counties. The Manatee site, in upscale Lakewood Ranch, has received much of the focus. A clinic in the Kings Gate community of Port Charlotte is also under scrutiny.
Two weeks ago, 1,000 shots were given out at a state-run pop-up clinic in Port Charlotte. DeSantis reached out to former state lawmaker and developer Pat Neal to host the clinic at a 55+ community in Kings Gate, where Neal’s business, Neal Communities, is building homes.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing bipartisan criticism of playing politics with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Southwest Florida. The criticism stems from DeSantis’ recent selection of COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic sites in Charlotte and Manatee Counties.
Gov. Ron DeSantis stood behind his controversial decision to set up a Lakewood Ranch vaccine pop-up clinic that only serves residents of two wealthy ZIP codes, responding to complaints of favoritism by threating to send vaccines elsewhere next time.
“If Manatee County doesn’t like us doing this then we are totally fine with putting this in counties that want it and we’re totally happy to do that,” DeSantis said of the complaints. “So anyone that’s saying that, let us know, if you want us to send it to Sarasota next time or Charlotte or Pasco or wherever, let us know; we’re happy to do it.”
DeSantis on COVID-19 vaccine site controversy: âI wouldnât be complainingâ
By FO 13 News staff
PublishedÂ
Kimberly Kuizon reports
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. - After some Manatee County commissioners criticized the decision-making behind the state’s vaccine pop-up site in whitest and richest Lakewood Ranch, Gov. Ron DeSantis had one simple message: If you don’t want it, it will be given to another county. Would they rather us send it to other counties? It wasn’t a choice about ZIP codes, it was a choice of where is a high concentration of seniors where communities can provide, he insisted Wednesday morning.
A pair of COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinics in Lakewood Ranch and Charlotte County are drawing complaints of political favoritism, with the issue roiling the Manatee County Commission on Tuesday as officials complained that residents in two ZIP codes were given preferential treatment.
The Lakewood Ranch clinic kicks off Wednesday, lasts for three days and is limited to residents in two ZIP codes in wealthier, whiter and strongly Republican areas of Manatee County. Those ZIP codes include communities developed by the politically connected Schroeder-Manatee Ranch and represented by GOP commission Chairwoman Vanessa Baugh, who is closely aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis.