'We need leadership from everyone': Biden slams Florida and Texas for having one third of all new COVID cases in the U.S. and calls on governors DeSantis and Abbott to 'use your power to save lives or get out of the way'
President Biden on Tuesday demanded that the Republican governors of Texas and Florida - home to about a third of all coronavirus cases in the country - use their power to save lives or get out of the way of people doing the right thing.
His pointed remarks came as he delivered an update on efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and urged Americans to protect themselves from a surge in cases.
He backed city and private mandates that require people to be vaccinated to take part in some daily activities.
And he reserved special criticism for state officials who were getting in the way of letting 'people do the right thing' such as banning mask mandates in schools or elsewhere.
'The escalation of cases is particularly concentrated in states with low vaccination rates,' he said.
'Just two states, Florida and Texas, account for one third of all new COVID-19 cases in the entire country. Just two states.
'Look, we need leadership from everyone.'
President Biden took aim at the Republican governors of Texas and Florida as he delivered an update on his administration's COVID-19 response, saying they were making 'bad health policy' that meant their states were responsible for a third of all coronavirus cases in the U.S.
'I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents,' said Biden when he was asked whether the governors of Texas and Florida were harming people in their states
'They should free people to do the right thing, such as allowing teachers to ask students to wear masks, he continued.
'I say to these governors, please help,' he said.
'But if you're not going to help at least get out of the way of the people who are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives.'
Biden's comments came as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday downplayed a spike in COVID-19 cases that's shattered state hospitalization records and strongly reiterated his vow not to impose a mask mandate or any business restrictions.
With the much more contagious Delta variant now spreading exponentially, Florida hit 11,515 hospitalized patients on Tuesday, breaking last year's record for the third straight day and up from just 1,000 in mid-June.
DeSantis, a Republican, said he expects hospitalizations to drop in the next couple weeks, asserting that the spike is seasonal as Floridians spend more time together indoors to escape the summer heat and humidity.
'We are not shutting down,' DeSantis said Tuesday during a wide-ranging press conference.
'We are going to have schools open. We are protecting every Floridian's job in this state. We are protecting people's small businesses. These interventions have failed time and time again throughout this pandemic, not just in the United States.'
DeSantis says COVID cases will decrease in the coming weeks amid spike in Delta cases and says 'interventions' have not stopped the spread
On Monday, the White House announced that it had finally reached its target of delivering at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 70 percent of the population.
However, the milestone was reached a month late, reflecting hesitancy among young people in particular.
Combined with the highly infectious Delta variant, the result has been a surge in cases around the country.
That rise in infections prompted health officials last week to recommend that even people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 return to wearing masks in some public indoor settings.
But as some states and cities scrambled to reimpose safety measured abandoned when officials believed the pandemic was over, Texas and Florida were among those that moved to limit mandates.
While some states scrambled to reimpose social distancing conditions and mask mandates, Gov Greg Abbott of Texas, left, and Gov Ron DeSantis, of Florida, signed executive orders rejecting such moves. It puts them at odds with a White House urging action on COVID-19
Average cases in Texas have risen by 74% from 4,577 per day to 7,992 per day in the last two weeks (left). Hospitalizations have also increased to more than 6,200 patients, which is the highest since February (right)
Florida is averaging 27,681 cases per day, a 342% increase from the 6,492 average cases reported two weeks ago (left). COVID-19 hospitalizations also reached a record high with 11,515, breaking the previous record of 10, 207 set on Monday (right)
In an executive order signed on Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of the Texas, banned state agencies from mandating vaccinations. It also reinforced a previous order preventing officials from introducing mask mandates.
A day later, Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida issued an executive order rejecting mask mandates in schools.
At the weekend it emerged that Florida had set a new state record for hospitalizations.
It reported 10,207 people were in hospital with confirmed COVID-19 cases, surpassing the 10,170 recorded in July last year, before vaccinations had begun.
At the end of his formal remarks, Biden was asked by journalists at the White House whether the governors of Florida and Texas were harming their voters.
'I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents,' said Biden.
'And it's clear to me and to most of the medical experts that the decisions being made - like not allowing mask mandates in school and the like - are bad health policy.'
As he left the East Room of the White House he was asked whether he would call Gov. Ron DeSantis personally
'And say happy birthday or what?' joked Biden.
The two appeared to have struck a cordial tone when the president visited the site of the Surfside condo collapse in Florida last month.
Biden and Gov. Ron DeSantis displayed a friendly relationship when the president visited the scene of the Surfside condo collapse in Florida and offered help
But when asked whether he would call DeSantis to deliver his message that more needed to be done on tackling COVID-19, the president said: 'He knows the message'
But when Biden was further pressed on whether he would call the governor to deliver the same message he had just outlined, Biden suggested the relationship went only so far.
'He knows the message,' he replied. 'He knows the message.'
Biden has seen his own approval ratings drop by 10 percent as his promised 'summer of freedom' has been replaced with fresh mask mandates and an increase in COVID-19 cases.
DeSantis had been riding high on his handling of the pandemic. The worst forecasts failed to materialize as he reopened the state early from lockdowns last year.
But that has changed in the past month and last week the state announced 409 deaths.
DeSantis has resisted mandatory masking and vaccine requirements, and along with the state legislature, has limited local officials' ability to impose restrictions meant to stop the spread of COVID-19.
For his part, the governor has blamed the surge on hot weather, forcing more Floridians indoors were air conditioning can spread the virus.
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