Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) on Monday accused the “liberal media” of attributing the increase in coronavirus cases to family gatherings rather than protests, despite data indicating there were no spikes. in the cities that saw the greatest demonstrations.
“The liberal media is trying to claim that the increase in the Coronavirus was caused by family barbecue on Memorial Day,” Reeves wrote. “They completely ignore the fact that our rebound (and other states) began within days of massive protests everywhere, which they celebrated.”
The liberal media is trying to claim that the Coronavirus surge was caused by family roasts on Memorial Day. They completely ignore the fact that our rebound (and other states) began within days of massive worldwide protests, which they celebrated.
Please stay smart and safe!
– Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 5, 2020
While coronavirus numbers across the country have skyrocketed in recent weeks, cases have not skyrocketed in the cities that saw the biggest protests after the George Floyd police murder, including Minneapolis, New York, and Washington, DC. While all 50 states have seen protests, in settings ranging from small towns to major cities, cases are currently emerging in a particular group of southern and western states, including California, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Florida.
Public health officials say no link has emerged between the protests and the coronavirus outbreaks and have blamed the reopening of closed sites. – particularly bars – and socialize for young people. Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department in Washington state, told NPR in late June that authorities have been unable to connect any cases to a recent demonstration at Bellingham County headquarters, attributing the lack of transmission to the use of face masks
Lautenbach said indoor parties were a much more likely vector of the virus.
“We are discovering that social events and gatherings, these parties where people don’t wear masks, are our main source of infection,” he told NPR. “And then the secondary source of infection is work environments. There were 31 related employers who were associated with that one party because of the number of people who brought that to their workplace. So for us, for a community of our size, that’s pretty massive to spread. “
Reeves sent the tweet the same day that Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn (R) announced that he tested positive for the virus, saying he likely hired it in meetings with colleagues to discuss the legislature’s recent removal of the emblem from Confederate battle of the state flag.
Reeves himself said he had been in contact with a person who later tested positive, although it was unclear if he was referring to Gunn or the person Gunn believes contracted the virus.
I am waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test. It seems confirmed that numerous members of the Mississippi House contracted the virus last week, only one of whom was in brief contact with it.
– Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) July 6, 2020
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