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THREAD: How the @NCGOP has been consistently 100% wrong on COVID since March (a tragedy in 12 parts).
@ProjectLincoln
@ProjectLincoln
In March, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper issued a stay-at-home order. Lt. Governor @DanForestNC, the highest ranking Republican in the state, and Cooper's challenger in November, immediately criticized the order to close restaurants and bars. https://ltgov.nc.gov/news/2020/03/17%20/lt-governor-forest-questions-validity-restaurant-ban
@NC_Governor began opening the state very gradually on May 5. Most retail stores and restaurants were allowed to partially open on May 22. The GOP-led state legislature thought NC wasn't opening quickly enough and passed a bill to re-open bars on May 28. https://www.wbtv.com/2020/05/28/house-passes-bill-allow-nc-bars-reopen-despite-executive-order-bill-now-headed-gov-cooper/
When @NC_Governor vetoed the bill, the GOP legislature passed another bill to reopen not only bars, but gyms too. https://www.newsbreak.com/north-carolina/raleigh/news/0PI9Kt0p/nc-senate-passes-bill-to-reopen-gyms-bars-with-outdoor-seating
As cases and hospitalizations in NC continued to steadily (but not exponentially climb) in June, the legislature proceeded to pass bills to open skating rinks, bowling alleys, wedding reception halls, arcades, amusement parks, and restaurants in minor league baseball stadiums.
Wedding receptions of up to 300 people would have been allowed, even though data was emerging that weddings were super-spreader events. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bihar-wedding-emerges-as-super-spreader-of-covid-19-groom-dead-over-100-guests-test-positive/videoshow/76722750.cms
A protest group - @TheRealReopenNC - emerged calling for the termination of all @NC_Governor's COVID orders. Lt. Gov. @DanForestNC met with and encouraged the protestors. https://morganton.com/news/local/political-protest-group-gaining-statewide-attention-has-local-ties/article_d3197d7d-efaf-5e97-87c4-4443215d8f73.html
In late May, ACE Speedway began holding races with 1000s of spectators closely packed in the stands and w/o masks. When ACE continued to hold races against the @NC_Governor's order, he closed the racetrack. Lt. Gov. @DanForestNC contributed to ACE's legal defense fund.
In late May, @realDonaldTrump began agitating that the GOP Convention in Charlotte be allowed to proceed w/ no masks, no social distancing, and "full hotels, restaurants, and bars." @NC_Governor said that the #RNC2020 would have to comply with @CDCgov guidlines.
The @NCGOP filed legislation to require capacity attendance at all #RNC2020 events in Charlotte. @NC_Governor held firm & the convention was moved to Jacksonville, where a huge #COVID19 outbreak will necessitate the very restrictions Cooper insisted upon. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/07/covid-jacksonville-republican-national-convention.html
On July 8, US positive cases soared to almost 60,000 and hospitalizations in #NorthCarolina approached 1,000 for the first time.
Nonetheless, this is the day the @NCGOP set a vote to override @NC_Governor's vetoes which would have opened bars, gyms, wedding venues, skating rinks, amusement parks and other facilities. The vetoes all failed. https://www.wect.com/2020/07/08/gov-coopers-vetos-stand-override-attempts-fail-general-assembly/
If the @NCGOP were running #NorthCarolina, the state would have only partially closed, it would have reopened way too early, and would have opened way too aggressively. We would be like Florida, where the virus is out of control with 10,000 cases per day for the past 2 weeks.
