President Trump sent out a tweet Monday about The Villages and its handling of the COVID-19 virus that left some residents scratching their heads.
The tweet read: “Congratulations to all of my many friends at The Villages in Florida on having done so well, and with such great spirit, during these rather unusual times. So proud of everyone!”
The president also singled out Developer Mark Morse and Villages Vice President of Community Relations Gary Lester, saying they had “really stepped up to the plate.” He added, “Hope to see everyone soon.”
The tweet, which possibly was inspired from information provided by Gov. Ron DeSantis about the community, raised questions about whether the president is planning a return visit to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. He spoke about protecting Medicare at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center in October and suggested at the time that he’d much rather have had an outside rally where more people could have attended. He most likely wasn’t aware that before he arrived at the 1,000-seat venue, protesters on both sides of the political fence clashed in Spanish Springs Town Square.
Trump’s tweet also would indicate that he’s not aware of some of the issues surrounding the Coronavirus that have been going on in The Villages. Local residents were seen crowded around restaurant bars when news of the virus and the need to practice social distancing first surfaced. Golfers also were seen in groups on several courses. And Sumter County sheriff’s deputies have dispersed crowds from Lake Sumter Landing, where a large fence has been erected around the town square area and chairs and picnic tables have been roped off to keep residents from using them.
The UF Health COVID-19 testing site at the polo fields also has caused a large amount of consternation among Villagers, including the late Carol Lynch, who desperately sought to get a test there. The site currently is closed after having claimed to have tested 3,955 people – 1,855 with symptoms and 2,100 who were asymptomatic.
Getting testing appointments from the out-of-town healthcare provider has proved to be extremely difficult for many Villagers who have expressed frustration since the organization announced it would start the effort on March 23. In fact, it originally was billed as being for Villagers only but that quickly changed when DeSantis visited the site on opening day and announced it was open to all area residents.
