Tim Eyman thinks coronavirus threat is funny, throws pandemic party. We’re not laughing
The prescription is simple though not easy: Stay home.
If Americans want to minimize loss of life from the global coronavirus pandemic, we must heed the advice of health experts and government officials and practice social distancing.
As Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday when he announced that restaurants, bars, entertainment and recreational facilities would shut down statewide to slow the spread of COVID-19: “Hours count here.”
Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Inslee’s emergency declaration.
On Saturday, Tim Eyman, Republican candidate for governor, threw himself a party. “Let’s stick our finger in the eye of Jay Inslee,” read the invitation to supporters, “I’m bringing a 6-pack of Corona!”
The Pied Piper of $30 car tabs hoped “251 patriots” would show up to his Oak Harbor fundraiser -- precisely one more person than Inslee’s previous maximum gathering size mandate of 250. The defiant gesture fell flat.
Eyman has yet to respond to queries on how many came to his eye-poking soiree, but pictures from Facebook depicted a sad, poorly attended birthday party. The invitation and pictures have since been taken down.
As if he were made of cellophane, we see right through Eyman, who thought he’d make a joke out of the coronavirus and exploit what conservative figures like Rush Limbaugh still believe is an effort to “destroy Trump and capitalism.”
Sorry, but we’re not laughing.
The coronavirus has sickened over 4,000 people in the United States. As of this writing, a confirmed 900 Washingtonians have contracted the contagious respiratory disease, and 48 have died. And while there is still no reason to panic -- the best course of action remains keeping at least 6 feet apart and washing hands frequently -- downplaying this disease and dismissing the advice issued by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reckless and dangerous.
For everyone’s sake, this is one cliff Eyman followers would be wise to avoid. When it comes to COVID-19, conservatives and liberals alike must take the side of science. Other countries like China and Italy failed to take urgent action, and are now paying the price.
Make no mistake, this a race against the clock. Slowing the rate of COVID-19 transmission buys time for healthcare systems and hospitals.
In a matter of weeks, the infection rate in Italy went from a few cases to thousands. Hospitals there are at a breaking point
Italian physician Dr. Daniele Macchini shared his frustration on Facebook: “And while there are still people who boast of not being afraid by ignoring directions, protesting because their normal routine is ‘temporarily’ put in crisis, the epidemiological disaster is taking place. And there are no more surgeons, urologists, or orthopedists, we are only doctors who suddenly become part of a single team to face this tsunami that has overwhelmed us.”
A tsunami, indeed. Italy reported 368 new deaths Monday, bringing the country’s COVID-19 fatality rate to 2,100.
Halting social gatherings here in the U.S. is the only way to avoid a similar fate, which means anyone with a public platform -- including anti-establishment political candidates -- should be communicating the seriousness of this moment, not using it as a theme for a fundraising barbecue.
While Trump failed to mention “social distancing” in his address to the nation last week, he has since embraced the urgency by tweeting the two-word catchphrase in all-capital letters. No doubt the rising death toll has finally convinced him COVID-19 is not a “hoax.”
Whether you are experiencing loss of usual routine, loss of wages, or loss of social contact, these severe measures are disorientating at best. Psychologists say to prepare for boredom, frustration and depression.
But Americans would do well to take the advice of Vice President Mike Pence, who’s in charge of the Trump Administration’s response.
“We’re in this together,” Pence often repeats. And to beat it together, we’ll have to stay a safe distance apart.