Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) criticized the president on Tuesday Joe Biden by a rule that prevents tennis superstar Novak Djokovic from participating in the upcoming Miami Open tournament without a COVID-19 vaccine.
Under current requirements, the Serb cannot enter the country without the vaccine.
Guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention establishes that non-US citizens and non-US immigrants must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before flying into the country, with limited exceptions.
The rule will expire in May, when the COVID-19 emergency declaration ends.
The Department of Homeland Security supposedly rejected a waiver request for Djokovic to participate in two US tennis tournaments this month: the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, and the Miami Open.
in a letter To Biden, DeSantis said Djokovic’s presence would benefit both the Florida tournament, which begins March 19, and the tennis community at large.
“The only thing preventing Mr. Djokovic from participating in this tournament is his administration’s continued enforcement of a misguided, unscientific and outdated COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign visitors seeking to visit our great country.” the governor wrote.
DeSantis, a likely 2024 GOP presidential candidate who once praised COVID-19 vaccines, has since turned skeptical, even calling the prosecution of those who promote lifesaving shots.
In January, he proposed permanently banning COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates in your state.
The governor said that Djokovic’s presence at the Miami tournament would not constitute a risk to public health.
“Time to put pandemic politics aside and give the American people what they want – let them play,” DeSantis wrote.
He also asked Biden to confirm by Friday that the tennis player could take a trip to Florida by boat, arguing that the COVID-19 vaccination rule for non-US citizens does not explicitly cover that method of transportation.
This is not the first time that Djokovic has made headlines for his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The number 1 player in the world was deportee from Australia early last year after he lost a court case that allowed him to stay for the Australian Open despite failing to meet the country’s vaccination requirement.