Fired deputy charged with crimes had troubled past in law enforcementNew resolution could help fend off FEMA’s threat to pull flood insurance discount
White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to reporters in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Lincoln, Neb., Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, after meeting with Gov. Pete Ricketts and community and state health officials. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) A top white house doctor slammed Florida for staying open during the second wave of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron Desantis has said he won’t close the state, and said the cases here are no higher or fewer than states that are shut down. Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, believes a vaccine will not stop the spread of COVID-19 alone. Birx maintains we all must change our behavior too, and that message is not getting through. “Right now, across the sun belt, we have governors and mayors who have cases equivalent to what they have in the summertime, yet aren’t putting in the same policies and mitigations that they put in the summer that they know change the course of this pandemic across the south,” said Birx during an interview on “Meet the Press.” Birx doubled down during an interview with The Wall Street Journal Tuesday, pointing a finger at southern states, including Florida, for not doing enough to control COVID-19. She said the northern plains, heartland and rocky mountain states have a better grip on the virus. “And so as we’re seeing improvements there, we’re seeing increases in these other states,” Birx said. After shutting down the state in March, DeSantis announced he’d reopen the economy in phases. Phase 1: On May 4, retail stores and restaurants go to 25% capacity, and elective surgeries resume — Cases did not spike Phase 2: On June 5, most of the state reopens — We saw a huge increase in cases and then a reduction Phase 3, Sept. 25th, DeSantis lifted all restrictions and stripped local counties and cities from adopting their own restrictions — Cases skyrocket “It is frustrating because, not only do we know what works, governors and mayors used those tools to stem the tide in the spring and the summer,” Birx said. When you look at the data from every state, cases are still spiking in states with strict rules and regulations. One of Birx’s task force counterparts, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is within the same mindset as she is. He wants unity among the nation’s governors and help dealing with those who still believe the virus is a hoax.