democrats are chastising President Trump for his handling of the Coronavirus global pandemic, but a review of their initial handling of the crisis looks far worse in retrospect.

De Blasio said February 14th, "should not stop you from going about your life, should not stop you from going to Chinatown and going out to eat. I’m going to do that today myself.”

Nancy Pelosi likewise urged Americans to patronize restaurants, specifically in Chinatown. While touring Chinatown businesses on February 28th, Pelosi said: "It’s exciting to be here, especially at this time, to be able to be unified with our community.

In New Orleans, as the city geared up for Mardi Gras despite pleas from health officials to cancel the annual week-long party, the city’s EMS confidently reassured those planning to attend:

New York City’s health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, ostensibly responsible for advising New Yorkers on best health practices, largely spent the last two months encouraging Gothamites to defy popular guidance for avoiding crowds as well as people recently back from China.

Barbot said that riding public transit and going out into public — including attending the Chinese Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown, were not just responsible behaviors, but would additionally help defeat anti-Asian prejudices.

“We are encouraging New Yorkers to go about their everyday lives and suggest practicing everyday precautions that we do through the flu season,” Barbot said on January 26th. She even added that those “who had recently traveled from Wuhan were not being urged to self-quarantine

On March 2nd, De Blasio said during a Coronavirus press conference that there was no reason to take any precautions behind basic hygiene: