As vaccinations in the state continue, Gov. Ron DeSantis rebuffed any domestic travel restrictions, to or from Florida, that the Biden administration is considering because of concerns the coronavirus mutations are threatening to reverse hard-fought progress on the pandemic.

“I think it would unconstitutional. I think it would be unwise and it would be unjust,” DeSantis said Thursday during a news briefing in Port Charlotte.

The governor said he opposes restricting the right of Americans to travel freely throughout the country while allowing illegal aliens to pour across the southern border “unmolested” and added that it would be a “ridiculous and damaging farce.”

The Biden administration’s discussion of potential travel restrictions did not specify Florida, but they do focus on how to prevent the spread of variants that appear to be surging in a number of states, including Florida and California.

DeSantis said he doesn’t know why Florida would even be considered as a place where travel restrictions would be implemented. The COVID situation in Florida is better than many other states, he said.

The statistics he noted were based on the time period since December.

* 27 other states have higher per capita new cases than Florida.

* 29 other states have higher hospitalizations per capita than Florida.

* 41 other states have higher per capita fatalities than Florida.

“Since Dec. 1 well over half the country has seen much worse COVID results than here in Florida,” he said.

This is a developing story.

Sun Sentinel reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at [email protected].

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