Dismiss Florida’s COVID-19 civil liability bill

As a cardiologist practicing in Miami, I see firsthand the devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on Floridians.

Florida House Bill 7 (Senate Bill 72), known as the Civil Liability for Damages Relating to COVID-19 bill, goes against the best interests of Floridians. It gives businesses the green light to cut corners and ignore evidence-based safety measures that can reduce the spread of disease.

What our policymakers should be doing is encouraging everyone to follow and adopt safety measures based on science, including requiring people to wear masks, and observe social distancing and robust hygiene practices such as washing hands. These simple measures can reduce the spread of COVID-19.

While many businesses are adopting safety measures to protect their employees, customers and the communities they serve, this bill may give license to bad actors to ignore such measures with impunity. Businesses that refuse to require masks be worn in the workplace must be held accountable. This will only prolong suffering, sicken more people and delay our economic recovery.

Fewer than 100 COVID-19 claims have been filed in Florida since the start of the pandemic. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Lawrence McClure, has cited only 10 such cases, despite more than 1.5 million reported cases. There has not been a wave of frivolous lawsuits, as proponents of this legislation said was inevitable. Furthermore, requiring a doctor’s note detailing the time and place of infection even before a potential case is heard attempts to turn doctors into judges in a way that deprives Floridians of their right to due process.

At a time when Florida must do more to reduce infections and save lives, HB 7/SB 72 deserves to be soundly rejected.

This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Dismiss Florida’s COVID-19 civil liability bill."