October 4, 2020

The Honorable Ron DeSantis

Governor of Florida
400 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee FL 32399

Dear Governor DeSantis:

As the attention of our Nation is understandably directed at the struggles and perils of our President, I
urge you to also consider the struggles and perils of our residents who continue to confront a state
government that remains inexplicably opposed to mask usage. Specifically, I urge you to reconsider your
most recent Executive Order prohibiting local governments from enforcing mask mandates on individuals
and, respectfully, suggest you implement your own mandate for mask usage. The notion that we are still
debating this seems incomprehensible given the recent infections of the First Family, and the horrific
impact the virus has had on our own residents.

Almost 15,000 Floridians have already perished from this disease, nearly a quarter in just my County. And
45,000 have been hospitalized mostly in ICU’s across the state. The dislocation to our economy and
resulting unemployment and business failures have been unfathomable. Your recent Order has made
matters even worse as Floridians reasonably perceived it as a clear signal that masks are unnecessary.

The experts you relied on to make the case that mask usage was not necessary, are precisely the same
physicians cherry-picked by the White House. Most, like Dr. Atlas, are not even infectious disease
specialists. Others, like Dr. Bhattacharya, don’t even practice in a specialty related to the treatment of
this virus. I think it was wholly reckless for you to endorse his outlier view that “there is no evidence that
shows masks prevent the spread” of the virus. This view is especially irresponsible in a state where the
major industry is hospitality and tourism. Further, your Order won’t merely just cause additional
community spread and sickness, it will also hamper our efforts to reopen. If we are to regain our
economic footing it most certainly will be with the diligent practice of wearing masks and social
distancing. The recent layoffs at Disney suggest the public is choosing where to go based on where they
feel safe.

Like all right-thinking Americans, I pray for the swift recovery of President Trump. But I also pray for our
residents who need state leaders who follow mainstream science rather than political talking points. I
can’t imagine the White House is not going to have a more sobering view of this virus, including the need
to wear a mask. Overnight, they seem to already have adopted a different attitude. I urge you to follow
the CDC and the mainstream view of doctors and scientists, and reconsider your prior Order prohibiting
local governments from enforcing individual mask mandates.

Thanks for your service,

Dan Gelber