HUDSON, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continued his tour across the state Thursday with the opening of a new COVID-19 antibody treatment center at the Fasano Center in Hudson.
The Pasco County site is one of about 17 monoclonal antibody treatment centers throughout the state that the governor says will be up and running soon. Such a treatment, like Regeneron, is given through an IV that neutralizes the virus and shortens the duration of symptoms for people who test positive for COVID-19, health experts have said.
The Fasano Center site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, according to the governor. And just like the other treatment centers around the state, DeSantis says it will be able to administer up to 300 treatments a day at no cost to the patient and without a referral from a doctor.
DeSantis added that the treatment is most effective when administered early for those who test positive for COVID, as well as people who have been exposed to COVID, as a preventative measure.
"This is the most effective early treatment that we have," the governor said. He added, too, that the vaccine is still the most effective way to avoid falling seriously ill from COVID-19.
The governor is expected to announce the openings of more antibody treatment centers, including one at Kings Forest Park in Hillsborough County.
At the end of the press conference, DeSantis addressed the ongoing issue over mask mandates in schools.
He stood strong in his stance that "parents understand what's best for their kids" in terms of choosing to send them to school with a mask or not. DeSantis also pointed blame at the Biden administration, calling its support of mask mandates a "lack of leadership."
“You have all these problems, and yet the White House and Biden, they’re number one issue is that they’re so intent on having the government force kindergarteners, first graders to have to wear masks for eight hours a day," the governor said.
“I’m offended that the federal government thinks they know better than we do as parents and in Florida, we want to make sure that we're standing by our parents."
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