Trump's Surgeon General slammed Florida's ban on mask mandates: 'We're letting politics get in the way of protecting our youth'
- Trump's Surgeon General slammed Florida's ban on mask mandates.
- "We're letting politics get in the way of protecting our youth," he told CBS This Morning.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to pull the salaries of school board members who enact the mandates.
Former US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who served under former President Trump, pushed back against bans on mask mandates in schools, saying, "We're letting politics get in the way of protecting our youth," on CBS This Morning Tuesday.
Adams was specifically commenting on an order by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis barring the mandates and threatening to pull the salaries of any school board members who put them in place.
"As a father, I quite frankly think it's unconscionable," Adams told CBS. "You can't tie the hands of school and public health officials based on what you perceive to be the reality, when your public health officials are telling you they need these tools."
Adams said he anticipates more spread of the virus and increased hospitalizations.
"Fortunately, with higher vaccination rates, we're not going to see as many deaths as we could otherwise see, but it's going to be a really tough next couple of weeks," he told CBS. "And parents, if your kids are over 12, please talk to your doctor or health provider and get your questions answered so you can get them vaccinated."
Adams urged the public to monitor COVID-19 numbers and make their own decisions on whether or not to wear a mask, regardless of what public officials decide on mask mandates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new infections in Florida on Friday, the state's highest single-day total since the pandemic began, according to NPR.
In the last week, the US recorded nearly 94,000 cases of COVID-19 in children, according to CBS This Morning.