By Ryan Steal
As Jasmine Irby, a tenant at a South Florida apartment, walked out of her house, she noticed a letter taped to her door. The letter was from the management company that required all the tenants whether new or existing to receive COVID-19 vaccination.
It read: “As of August 15th, all new tenants must show proof of vaccination before moving in. … Existing tenants must show proof of vaccination before leases are renewed.”
Building employees are also included in the policy. Irby, who works as a security guard, was “appalled” by the new policy. Having lived there for 2 years, she thought it good to seek negotiations with the management company and her landlord, Santiago A. Alvarez.
After her efforts bore no fruits, the 28-year-old filed a complaint with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, seeking permission to renew her lease without having to disclose information about her personal health.
Irby received the letter requiring her to be vaccinated at a time when Florida is experiencing a spike in coronavirus infections after the recent wave of the Delta variant. According to the Washington Post’s vaccine tracker, more than 65 percent of Florida’s population have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to Gov. Ron DeSantis, getting the vaccine is “a personal choice that should be left to individuals.” The Republican, however, received the vaccine back in April. DeSantis has been known for opposing the mask and vaccination mandates in businesses and schools. Moreover, he ordered the banning of schools and government organizations within his juris-diction that require proof of vaccination.
Alvarez’s policy is among many other business policies that are being enacted within the state to try to cope with the ongoing surge in infections. However, these policies breach the requirements of DeSantis on the vaccine.
“It very much upsets me that my employees are exposed to [covid-19] all days of the week because there is someone who does not want to get vaccinated,” Alvarez, 80, told The Post. “If you don’t want to get vaccinated, I have the obligation and the duty to protect my workers and tenants.”
