/1 I joined African American leaders from across the Commonwealth on a zoom call with @MarkWarner yesterday to discuss the pandemic.
That meeting and news about easing restrictions has left me to conclude that we have given up on reopening safely.
That meeting and news about easing restrictions has left me to conclude that we have given up on reopening safely.
/2 I asked him when can we expect to open safely considering that all medical professionals seem to state we can’t open without testing and PPE and there’s no coordinated federal response for either.
The Senator was honest and said “we’re on our own for PPE”
The Senator was honest and said “we’re on our own for PPE”
/3 The federal government doesn’t have a plan and there’s no plan in sight. As for testing, Governor Northam is getting enough tests to perform 10,000 per day—a number Senator Warner appeared skeptical about.
/4 This coupled with the news from yesterday that we are easing restrictions despite the continued growth in infections suggests to me that we’re giving in to our collective stir craziness and going to attempt reopen to try to stimulate the economy.
/5 what has changed since we started this in March?
While we have increased hospital capacity, we have not secured enough tests to test everyone. We are still working on securing enough PPE. And most importantly, infections continue to rise.
While we have increased hospital capacity, we have not secured enough tests to test everyone. We are still working on securing enough PPE. And most importantly, infections continue to rise.
/6 If we did this to prevent overrunning hospitals, what assurance do we have now that we didn’t have before?
It seems we are opening up because people all over this country sacrificed to buy the government time and they squandered that time.
It seems we are opening up because people all over this country sacrificed to buy the government time and they squandered that time.
/7 Over 30 million Americans are out of work and there is still no plan.
I do not want to dismiss the economic hardship these stay at home orders caused. But we have to realize, those sacrifices will be for nothing if we reopen and face the very same problem we tried to avoid.
I do not want to dismiss the economic hardship these stay at home orders caused. But we have to realize, those sacrifices will be for nothing if we reopen and face the very same problem we tried to avoid.
/8 This was a global pandemic. And throughout the world, countries were able to provide financial assistance to all of their residents for the duration of the pandemic. In America, we provided $1,200 that didn’t reach everyone and a loan to the Lakers.
/9 We should all be tired and upset but we should be demanding some actual governance.
And if you can avoid it, do not go back out there yet.
And if you can avoid it, do not go back out there yet.
/10 Do not be the the foolish sacrifice to stimulate a economy that they ruined because the truth is, until that curve flattens and we get more of what we need, we are going to be right back inside.
