Petition for DeSantis to shut down Florida now has over 300,000 signatures

An online petition calls for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida State Senate to “shut down Florida” to deter the spread of COVID-19.

The petition has been gaining traction. Although it was only created six days ago, it already has over 320,000 signatures.

According to the website, the petition was created by a Winter Haven resident named Julio Torres.

“Florida Governor Ron Desantis our family are in risk, please SHUT DOWN Florida. Around 100 Florida residents are infected everyday,” says the petition. The description is also written in Spanish on the petition’s website.

DeSantis has been widely criticized for not calling for a statewide stay-in-place order and opting to let local governments fend for themselves.

It was only created six days ago and already has over 320,000 signatures.

“In this moment of growing uncertainty and anxiety, Floridians want — and deserve — to hear from the public health officials leading the charge,” said former Vice President and Democratic presidential primary front-runner Joe Biden earlier this week. “To get through this, we need our leaders to listen to the public health experts and their guidance. The stakes are too high to wait any longer.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried also said DeSantis’ “piecemeal approach” throughout the state has confused people.

According to the Florida Department of Health, 2,765 Florida residents have tested positive for the disease and 35 people have died as a result of COVID-19.

If you’d like to sign the petition, click here.

This story originally appeared in Creative Loafing Tampa.

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