Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapo - a UCLA medical professor who opposed COVID-19 lockdown policies and mask mandates - to become the state’s new surgeon general and secretary of the Florida Department of Health.
According to UCLA Health, Ladapo's "primary research interests include assessing the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic technologies and reducing the population burden of cardiovascular disease."
“I am pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Ladapo will lead the Florida Department of Health as our state’s next surgeon general,” DeSantis said at a Tuesday news conference.
“Dr. Ladapo will bring great leadership to the Department of Health. I would also like to thank both Dr. Scott Rivkees and Dr. Shamarial Roberson for their hard work on behalf of all Floridians.”
Like DeSantis, Ladapo opposes evidence-based mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and lockdowns, as well as advocating for the controversial idea of achieving herd immunity.
People wait in cars to get a COVID-19 test, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Miami. COVID-19 has strained some Florida hospitals so much that ambulance services and fire departments can no longer respond as usual to every call.
© AP Photo / Marta Lavandier
Lapado said after being announced as the new surgeon general, that vaccines aren’t the only way to combat COVID-19 and getting one is a personal choice.
"The state should be promoting good health, and vaccination isn't the only path to that," Ladapo said. "It's been treated almost like a religion, and that's just senseless. There are lots of good pathways to health, and vaccination isn’t the only one."
In addition to vaccines, people should be encouraged to lose weight, exercise more and eat healthier, Ladapo added.
“We’re done with fear, it’s been something that’s been unfortunately a centerpiece of health policy in the United States ever since the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s over here – expiration date it’s done,” he continued.
Ladapo, who is known for publishing controversial articles about “covid mania,” spoke out against lockdown, arguing that “those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal.”
“After lockdowns, overall mortality increased. Lockdowns are bad. Lots of reasons why they’re bad, that’s just one really good one,” he underscored.
DeSantis took the opportunity to stress how important telling the truth is. “I think that’s what Dr. Ladapo understands. … You’ve got to tell people the truth, and you’ve got to let them make decisions,” the governor said.
Florida recently became the fourth state to surpass 50,000 novel coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to the state’s latest weekly pandemic data report. Health officials reported Thursday that the fierce surge in COVID-19 cases was fueled by the new Delta variant.