TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ A small group of protesters tried to shout down Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday during an event in Orlando, the second such outburst in as many weeks as the governor tries to tout his efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic amid alarming increases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
"Shame on you!" shouted the group of about five protesters upset at DeSantis' response to the virus. "Thousands of deaths are on your head. ... Why are you lying about antibody tests? Why are you lying about unemployment?"
DeSantis spoke over the protesters, who were escorted from the Orlando offices of One Blood, a blood bank. He urged citizens to donate plasma to help replenish supplies after a surge in patients in hospitals around the state sparked in part by the rise in coronavirus hospitalizations.
"Donate your plasma, it's very, very important," DeSantis said. "You can make a difference in people's health and in their lives."
The event was supposed to be held outside, but imminent rain forced DeSantis and media inside. After protesters were moved outside, they began to bang on the windows and shout some more.
"I hope none of them need convalescent plasma," One Blood CEO Bud Scholl said as he strained to be heard over the shouts.
During an event in Miami last week an immigration activist shouted down DeSantis. The incidents are a signal of the increasing pressure DeSantis' faces as Florida's cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, increase after he began reopening the state in May following a stay at home order designed to slow the spread of the virus.
There were 10,508 new cases reported Monday, representing a 15% positivity rate and 90 new deaths. There have been a total of 5,072 deaths from COVID-19 in Florida.
