Biden: "COVID-19 Can Spread in Hurricane Shelters... Get Vaccinated"

Targeting Florida and Texas with Low Vaccination Rates
Florida Governor's Order Banning Mask Mandates Sparks Controversy

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden has urged vaccination, warning that if unvaccinated people gather in shelters as the hurricane season approaches, a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak could occur. This statement is interpreted as targeting the southeastern regions, including Florida and Texas, where Republican governors have refused vaccination and mask mandates. It is reported that in these states, confusion has arisen as educational authorities clash with state governments over quarantine measures.

On the 10th (local time), President Biden held a disaster preparedness meeting at the White House with Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), stating, "A severe hurricane could come this month," and emphasizing, "Those evacuating to shelters must get vaccinated to avoid COVID-19 risks."

This remark is interpreted as targeting the southeastern regions, such as Florida and Texas, which suffer the most damage when the hurricane season begins every August. These areas, dominated by Republican governors, have repeatedly opposed government quarantine orders such as mandatory vaccination and mask-wearing, becoming major hotspots for the Delta variant spread.

According to CNN, southeastern states including Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas have low vaccination rates due to refusal, and currently, about half of the new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. come from these regions.

In particular, in Florida and Texas, where governors have announced bans on mask mandates, educational authorities and state governments are reportedly in conflict over quarantine measures. On this day, the Broward County School Board in Florida stated on its website, "We oppose Governor Ron DeSantis's order banning mask mandates and emphasize the necessity of wearing masks." In Florida, lawsuits against Governor DeSantis have also been filed, mainly by parents.

The Dallas Independent School District in Texas issued a statement the previous day opposing Governor Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates, saying, "The governor's order cannot restrict the school district's right to establish necessary safety rules for staff and students," and announced it would mandate mask-wearing. Previously, the Florida and Texas state governments warned that they would impose financial penalties on school officials enforcing mask-wearing despite administrative orders ignoring mask mandates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.