About 15 minutes before the event began, the county was notified that many in the audience of about 100-150 people were not wearing facial covers or masks, said Palm Beach County Deputy Public Affairs Director John Jamason , to CNN in a statement.
During the event, DeSantis spoke about his “Seniors First” vaccine initiative and Covid-19.
“We need to start doing really big events again. We have the elderly protected, or we will be. We have to start doing it the right way,” DeSantis told the crowd for supportive applause, as he also promised to return to Palm Beach County for sign a proposal for electoral reform in law.
CNN contacted the DeSantis office for comment.
“We spoke with Hilton management and will follow up with them and the event organizers in accordance with our normal compliance procedures,” said Jamason.
A Hilton Palm Beach Airport spokesman said in an email to CNN that, in part, “We were told of a video that appears to show a group of people very close to each other and without masks. We are disappointed in their appearance. non-compliance with our mask regulations, which are prominently displayed throughout the hotel. In the future, we will continue to do our best to monitor and enforce these guidelines as long as they remain in effect. “