Thread by @ASlavitt

COVID Update: One thing I’m glad about— the people who think the pandemic should focus on paying people not to get vaccinated aren’t in charge.

From DeSantis to Rand Paul, nearly daily there’s a reminder of the difference between the first year of the pandemic and now. 1/

We have many challenges facing us in responding to the pandemic. But the contrast in how Biden is responding ,when I see the people who want the pandemic to be over but will only act to elongate it lead, I’m only grateful they’re not in charge. 2/

It is true we don’t have enough tests to handle the crush of new cases per day.

But while Joe Biden runs towards the problem w a billion free tests, a new testing czar & 8 free tests/person/month, Roger Marshall thinks the priority should be Tony Fauci’s financial statements. 3/

In a hearing over the crisis we are all in, a Kansas Senator who can’t conduct a Google search honed in on what Americans are really worried about.

No, not schools or hospitals but a quite modest 81 year old career civil servant. 4/

publicintegrity.org/health/coronav…

I wonder what planet he’s on. But I don’t wonder what political party he’s in.

Because we now just shrug our shoulders when we see Republican governors take steps to elongate the pandemic.

In the last few months, as we’ve been battling omicron… 5/

Ron DeSantis has offered CASH BONUSES to unvaccinated police officers who quit or are fired from police forces in other states.

Unvaccinated adults are nearly 6x more likely to test positive for Covid & 14x more likely to die from the virus. 6/

DeSantis & OK Gov Stitt have decided to take a stand—not against COVID, but against booster shots. When asked why:

“I’ve done the normal shot, and that … is people’s individual decision about what they want to do.” -Desantis

“I’m perfectly healthy.” -Stitt 7/

PS Booster shots can cut in half your chance of being hospitalized according to some studies.

PPS When thee guy who refused to admit the existence of or take responsibility for the pandemic calls you gutless, look at yourself. 8/

thehill.com/blogs/blog-bri…

Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Tennessee have changed their unemployment insurance rules to allow you to receive benefits if you quit your job because you didn’t want to get vaccinated.

They don’t belief in public programs. Except for the unvaccinated. 9/

24 state AGs even filed lawsuits to prevent the federal government from requiring workplaces to be safe. 20 sued to prevent hospitals from requiring staff to be vaccinated.

Just think if this aggression & creative energy were funneled into fighting the virus & saving lives. 10/

PS on that one. The Supreme Court ruled today. And even a highly conservative Supreme Court couldn’t support these states on one of their arguments (the health care one). Wrongly, but unsurprisingly, they won’t allow workplaces to be required to be kept safe. 11/

26 states (wonder if there’s a connection) passed laws that weaken public health protections.

AK banned mask requirements
ID now allows county commissioners to veto public health orders.
KS and TN have taken basic duties from public health officials 12/

9 states passed laws requiring exemptions from vaccine mandates or banned companies from requiring vaccines.

These are the same people telling us they demand the pandemic new over so we can return to normal. Um hmm. 13/

Republican members of Congress have filed at least 20 bills to block or roll back vaccine requirements. 14/

8 Republican governors including Abbott of Texas and DeSantis of Florida have banned mask requirements in schools.

To be clear masks are the ONLY thing, including ventilation, preventing COVID from spreading in schools. In fact … 15/

Schools with mask requirements were 3.5 times less likely to have a coronavirus outbreak during the Delta based on a study in Arizona. 16/

I have spent time w President Biden on this pandemic. He doesn’t think he’s gotten everything right. He’s not all that concerned with how he’s perceived at any particular moment. But he cares deeply about every American life & what we can do to help save it. 17/

The vaccination program the Trump Administration started & he and his team rolled out have saved many American lives.

Biden’s acceleration of the vaccines in the early part of 2021 saved close to 300,000 lives. 18/

During all this, Biden has had his head down. He’s opened 90,000 free vaccination sites and 20,000 free testing sites. He’s tripled the stockpile of masks and sent thousands of medical personnel to hospitals. 20 million anti-vitals. 19/

We have to judge our leaders by what they deliver, by their honesty, by how hard they work for us.

But, by God, when I stop and compare where we are to the alternative, I actually shudder. 20/

Let’s have high expectations of our leaders. If we hold them accountable, they should listen and improve.

But lets also hold accountable all the elected leaders that have joined the fight on the side of the virus. 21/

I won’t forget who showed up & who laid down in the middle of the hardest times. /end