Delta variant pushes the COVID-19 surge to its highest levels, which Alabama numbers doubling each week. Political psychologist Dr. Bart Rossi, Ph.D. join the Tampa ABC affiliate WINK NEWS to discuss.
Throughout 2020 there have been states that pushed back against health guidelines to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them was Governor Ron Desantis of Florida. By the summer of 2020, he was claiming victory in that he never fully locked down the state, even though shortly thereafter Florida became the epicenter of the virus. DeSantis falsely predicted that Flrodia could remain open without consequences. Then in the winter of 2020 Florida along with many other states saw the worst surge of the year.
2021 again has Florida at the center of a push and pull debate regarding the pandemic. The arrival of the Delta variant of COVID-19 has infected the USA and a week ago all 50 states saw surging case numbers. The other significant statistic was that 99+% of all hospitalizations and deaths occurred among the unvaccinated. And yet, there is still pushback. For example, Alabama remained the state with the lowest vaccination rate, hovering in the 35% range. And despite local health officials reaching out, vaccination hesitancy remains high.
Back in Florida, despite the explosion of cases (Florida accounts for 1 in 5 of all the cases in the country), DeSantis refuses to budge. He outlawed any attempt of businesses to require proof of vaccination, including for the cruise industry.
I’m all for personal freedoms, but if one claims to enact their personal freedom, they have to accept the restrictions (to protect others) that come with it. If your refusal to be vaccinated puts others at risk, then a business should be allowed to restrict your entry into their business where they are responsible for the well-being of all their customers.
In Florida, however, it seems the Governors view is that you should not only be allowed personal freedom regarding your health but even when it negatively affects the health of others. With freedom comes responsibility, something Gov. DeSantis chooses selectively.
When he went as far as banning the right of any business to set restrictions in the best interest of their customers, free enterprise — the GOP notion that business should not be corraled by government, doesn’t seem to imply. No doubt the battle between the cruise lines [that harbor in Florida] and the Governor will find its way to the Supreme Court.
On July 16, 201 Bay News 9 reported that:
On Friday, Florida released its weekly COVID-19 report. From July 9 to July 15, Florida reported 45,604 new cases of COVID. It’s an 11.5% positivity rate, a 92.4% increase from the previous week.
Delta Variant Pushes COVID-19 Surge
I too am a sceptic of big pharma. At the same time they were also able to contain and eventually eliminate many diseases in society. Deseses with vaccines, some of which have been eradicated, others simply put in check, include polio, tetenus, rubella, HIP, meassels, whopping cough, mumps, chickenpox, and dephtheria, mong others. But measles in on the rise due to an anti-vaxxer movement in America. And conservative media has led the charge in rasing doubt against the COVID-19 vaccines.
With children getting ready to return the school, even masks are back in the discussion. The CDC revised its guidelines for unvaccinated children, supported by the America Academy of Pedicatrics, But opinion hosts, like Tucker Carlson noted that parents making their kids wear masks is akin to child abuse.
However, in recent days many conservative media hosts have reversed course (see at 3:00 into that video) and encouraged masks and vaccines. Not Tucker Carlson, nor Laura Ingharam.
In This Episode of Delta Variant Pushes COVID-19 Surge
Dr. Rossi discusses the psychological impact of people’s beliefs vs. science. They discuss the new rule by the NFL, Disantis’s narrative, and more.
