Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday criticized “Faucism” in the wake of the Omicron variant of the Chinese coronavirus and promised Florida will continue to “protect your freedom to make your decisions.”

Speaking from Oldsmar, Florida, DeSantis briefly mentioned the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus and the market’s initial reaction to the news, noting it was not fearful of the virus, but rather “fearful that governments would do destructive things in response to Omicron.”

“And in Florida, we won’t let them lock you down. We won’t let them restrict you. We’re not going to let them impose mandates. We’re not going to let them close schools. We are going to protect your freedom to make your decisions,” DeSantis declared, reinforcing the Florida’s status as a bastion of freedom.