Dr. Raul Pino, the Director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County (DOH/Orange), has been reinstated from administrative leave by the Florida Department of Health (DOH).
Pino was placed on administrative leave two months ago by the DOH, because he sent an email to his staff, citing their low COVID-19 vaccine rates, and encouraging them to get fully vaccinated. The state opened an investigation and issued a statement saying getting vaccinated is a personal choice and employees should be “free from coercion.”
Demings, in an interview with WDBO-FM, says it shows that Pino “was essentially vindicated of any serious wrongdoings.”
The DOH released the following statement about Pino after placing him on administrative leave in January:
“As the decision to get vaccinated is a personal medical choice that should be made free from coercion and mandates from employers, the employee in question [Pino] has been placed on administrative leave, and the Florida Department of Health is conducting an inquiry to determine if any laws were broken in this case. The Department is committed to upholding all laws, including the ban on vaccine mandates for government employees and will take appropriate action once additional information is known."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis banned vaccine mandates in the workplace.
Pino was at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 in Orange County.
According to multiple media outlets, Pino wrote in the email that only 77 had received a COVID-19 booster, 219 had two doses of the vaccine, and 34 had only one dose. The DOH/Orange has 568 active staff at the department.
“I am sorry but in the absence of reasonable and real reasons it is irresponsible not to be vaccinated," he wrote. "We have been at this for two years, we were the first to give vaccines to the masses, we have done more than 300,000 and we are not even at 50% - pathetic.”
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