Orange County health and fitness officer Dr. Raul Pino on leave, beneath point out inquiry involving vaccines

ORLANDO, Fla. – Dr. Raul Pino, the director of the Florida Office of Wellness in Orange County who has been so seen all through the pandemic, is on administrative go away pending an inquiry, the Florida Office of Wellbeing verified to Information 6 Tuesday.

“As the choice to get vaccinated is a own professional medical preference that ought to be produced free from coercion and mandates from employers, the personnel in question (Pino) has been put on administrative depart, and the Florida Division of Wellness is conducting an inquiry to determine if any laws were broken in this situation,” FDOH push secretary Jeremy Redfern mentioned in a statement.

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“The Department is committed to upholding all regulations, together with the ban on vaccine mandates for governing administration employees and will take acceptable motion once additional facts is identified,” the statement extra.

The health and fitness section did not supply any facts into what led to the decision.

News 6 reached out to the state in reference to an email Pino allegedly sent to division staff encouraging workforce to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Christina Pushaw, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ spokeswoman, despatched Information 6 a copy of the electronic mail Wednesday which she claimed she obtained from Redfern.

“I have a difficult time understanding how can we be in general public health and not apply it! The good reasons can be a lot of, but so quite a few of us?” the e mail said.

In the email, “vaccination data” for 568 section personnel in Orange County returned with only 219 two-shot and 77 booster recipients on document, as very well as a scathing rebuke of the reduced figures.

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“I am sorry, but at this position in the absence of affordable and genuine motives, it is irresponsible no to be vaccinated,” the email mentioned. “We have been at this for two decades, we were being the initial to give vaccines to the masses, we have performed a lot more than 300,000 (OC DOH) and we are not even at 50%, pathetic.”

As the overall health officer for the Florida Department of Wellbeing in Orange County, Pino has been entrance and heart in furnishing the latest updates on COVID-19 and vocal on the need to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and get the group vaccinated.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings produced a assertion Wednesday afternoon.

Pino has been with the Florida Department of Wellness in Orange County given that Might 2019.

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