In President Joe Biden’s national address on Thursday night, he suggested that the United States may need to reinstate lockdown measures again at some point to slow the spread of COVID-19. Now, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is firing back by saying that he will never let that happen in his state.

“Biden last night said that they may have to impose more lockdown-type policies in the future. I can tell ya: that ain’t happening in Florida,” DeSantis said emphatically, according to Fox35 Orlando. “We are not going to let him lockdown Florida.”

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“To even contemplate doing any time of lockdown, honestly it’s insane,” DeSantis added. “We like the fact that people are able to work here. We like the fact that we’ve been able to save thousands, thousands of businesses and save people’s livelihoods and we love the fact that parents have the right to send their kid to school in person.”

This comes after Biden warned in his speech marking the one year anniversary of restrictions putting place that lockdown measures may need to happen again.

“Even if we devote every resource we have, beating this virus and getting back to normal depends on national unity,” Biden said, indicating that lockdown measures will be enacted again if Americans don’t “stay vigilant.”

“National unity isn’t just how politics and politicians vote in Washington, what the loudest voices say on cable or online. Unity is what we do as fellow Americans,” Biden said. “Because if we don’t stay vigilant and the conditions change, then we may have to reinstate restrictions to get back on track.”

This is far from the first time that DeSantis has defiantly pledged to keep Florida open. Earlier this month, he pledged that he will do whatever it takes to keep schools and businesses open as the vaccine is rolled out.

“Friends, legislators, Floridians, lend me your ears: We will not let anybody close your schools, we will not let anybody take your jobs and we will not let anybody close your businesses!” DeSantis declared.

“From the outset, Florida has been steadfast in focusing efforts on the protection of the elderly,” he added. “We rejected the policy of sending contagious COVID patients back into nursing homes; indeed, we prohibited the practice. Florida also established COVID-only nursing facilities so that infections in long-term care facilities could be more effectively contained.”

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