CNN — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly downplayed New York’s role in providing his state with shipments of an antiviral drug to help combat the coronavirus pandemic after a staffer in The Sunshine State’s health department had privately praised the assistance, CNN has learned.

Speaking to reporters last Thursday, DeSantis pointedly denied that New York was helping his state’s Covid-19 response, stating, “They’re not helping us.”
“I think that someone reached out to our office about ventilators — we got 6,000 just sitting idle, so we don’t need it,” the governor added. “We are working with the federal government on some of the Remdesivir.”

But a set of emails first reported by Politco and later reviewed by CNN shows New York’s offer to send remdesivir to Florida had been well received before DeSantis dismissed the state’s role in securing shipments of the drug.

cbs12.com