ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A well being legitimate who has helped lead central Florida’s reaction to the pandemic has been placed on administrative depart as state officers examine whether or not he attempted to compel workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in violation of state regulation.
The state well being company is accomplishing an inquiry into Raul Pino, director of the Florida Division of Well being in Orange County, “to decide if any regulations have been damaged on this case,” Florida Division of Well being press secretary Jeremy Redfern stated in an electronic mail.
A measure Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into regulation remaining fall prohibits govt businesses from imposing vaccine mandates and restricts personal companies from having vaccine necessities until they enable staff to choose out for clinical causes, non secular ideals, immunity in line with a prior an infection, common trying out or an settlement to put on protecting tools.
“The Division is dedicated to upholding all regulations, together with the ban on vaccine mandates for presidency workers and can take suitable motion as soon as additional info is understood,” Redfern stated within the electronic mail. He didn’t be offering additional main points.
Orlando’s WFTV experiences that Pino was once placed on depart after he despatched an electronic mail to group of workers previous this month essential in their vaccination price.
Pino wrote that out of 568 staffers, most effective 77 had won booster photographs, 219 had gotten two vaccines doses and 34 most effective had a unmarried dose, in keeping with the tv station.
“I’m sorry however within the absence of affordable and actual causes it’s irresponsible to not be vaccinated,” Pino wrote. “We now have been at this for 2 years, we have been the primary to offer vaccines to the loads, we’ve got performed greater than 300,000 and we aren’t even at 50% pathetic.”
Pino has led the well being company in Orange County since 2019 and has served as a number one determine within the public reaction to the pandemic in metro Orlando.