Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would pardon anybody in Florida convicted of breaking masking or social-distancing rules

• Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to pardon any Floridian prosecuted for breaking mask and distancing rules.
• The Republican has risen to national prominence over his opposition to COVID-19 regulations.
• The CDC on Thursday said vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks or practice distancing.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would pardon anyone in Florida prosecuted for violating mask or social-distancing COVID-19 rules.

In an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, the Republican said such rules were a form of government overreach.

He addressed the case of Mike and Jillian Carnevale, Florida gym owners who were arrested on suspicion of violating mask rules and were interviewed on the network just before DeSantis.

"I'm going to sign a reprieve under my constitutional authority," DeSantis told the Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

"So that will delay the case for 60 days against both of them, and then when our clemency board meets in the coming weeks, we'll issue pardons not only for Mike and Jillian, but for any Floridian that may have outstanding infractions for things like masks and social distancing."

"I think they've been treated poorly," he added. "Fortunately, they got a governor that cares."

On Thursday, DeSantis issued an executive order granting a statewide reprieve shielding people and businesses from prosecution over COVID-19 rules for 60 days.

DeSantis, a GOP rising star who might run for president in 2024, suspended all of Florida's COVID-19 restrictions, arguing that the effectiveness of vaccines meant they were no longer necessary.

His opposition to rules to slow the spread of COVID-19 has been at the heart of his political brand.

He did not issue a statewide mask mandate at the height of the pandemic, though several counties in the state issued their own mandates.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday revised its COVID-19 guidance, advising that those who have been vaccinated no longer need to wear masks indoors or observe social distancing.