Press Releases

June 22, 2020

Governor DeSantis: Disclose Actual Intensive Care Data, Stop Trying to Hide Number of COVID-19 Cases

For Immediate Release

The following statement was issued by Bill Sauers, President of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding Governor Ron DeSantis’ Administration changing how hospitals must report use of intensive-care beds by patients with COVID-19:

“Florida’s Surgeon General and Secretary of the Department of Health, who was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, has now told hospital providers not to report the number of patients in intensive-care unit (ICU) beds. Instead, he wants hospitals to report the number of patients in those beds who require what he described as an ‘intensive level of care.’

“If you are in an ICU bed, by definition you need an intensive level of care. This is an attempt to cook the books and hide the number of patients with COVID-19.

“The availability of ICU beds is a key measure of the outbreak in Florida, and it’s critical for the public to understand what is happening.

“Sadly this comes as no surprise. Today Florida surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the state has failed to manage the outbreak, prevent infections and save lives.

“Older Floridians remain at risk. It was just a few weeks ago that Governor DeSantis was refusing to release the names of long-term care facilities with outbreaks. Now he wants to hide what is going on in our hospitals. If Governor DeSantis cared as much about our health as he does about PR, we would all be safer from this deadly virus.”

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Contact: David Blank,  dblank@retiredamericans.org