DeSantis: Local Governments to Face $5,000 Fines for Imposing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is interviewed by The Epoch Times at Florida International University in Miami, Fla., on May 24, 2021. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

Local governments that impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates will be fined thousands of dollars, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday.

The mandates violate a state law, Senate Bill 2006, passed earlier this year that says a government cannot require people to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, commonly known as vaccine passports, to enter government buildings. A Florida Department of Health rule enforcing the law is set to take effect on Sept. 16. Violations of the law will result in the imposition of a $5,000 fine per person, the rule states.