It’s almost as if lockdowns do nothing to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
California has some of the nation’s strictest restrictions when it comes to COVID-19, yet it is one of America’s epicenters for the virus, Politico reported. The state has at times instituted “a complete ban on restaurant dining to travel quarantines and indoor gym closures.”
Politico reported this “hasn’t been enough,” even though these measures have decimated California’s economy while clearly doing little to stem the virus.
“America’s most populous state has become one of the nation’s worst epicenters for the disease, setting new records for cases, hospitalizations and deaths almost every day. Things are so bad in Southern California that some patients are being treated in hospital tents, while doctors have begun discussing whether they need to ration care,” the outlet reported.
To date, California has had 2.06 million known confirmed cases of coronavirus and 23,964 deaths in a population of 39.51 million. To put that in perspective, New York has had 909,000 confirmed cases and 36,739 deaths (24,889 deaths in New York City alone) in a population of 19.45 million. Florida, which has been under attack from the media for its handling of the pandemic because the state has a Republican governor who hasn’t taken unconstitutional and extreme measures to lock down the state, has seen 1.25 million confirmed cases and 20,994 deaths in a population of 21.48 million.
Politico reported that California’s case rate – “100 new daily cases per 100,000 residents” – is second only to Tennessee’s, a state that hasn’t done all the economy-killing restrictions of California. Tennessee, for example, doesn’t mandate mask wearing (though most businesses require it anyway) and allows up to 10 people to gather indoors.
California officials blame the residents for not following the crushing restrictions to the letter, Politico reported.
“In Los Angeles, officials have said all along that people were gathering too often. They blamed celebrations and postseason viewing parties when the Dodgers and Lakers won championships this fall,” the outlet reported. “Some have blamed the strict rules themselves, saying that cooped-up Californians couldn’t take it any longer and decided they need to live their lives. Others have said congregant settings remain a severe concern in a housing-constrained state, especially in low-income communities where residents live in tight quarters and must continue to work in-person to survive.”
Later, Politico finally noted the arbitrary nature of California’s restrictions, which has shuttered certain small businesses but allowed Hollywood to resume filming. For example, as The Daily Wire previously reported, restaurant owner Angela Marsden made a viral video that showed her outdoor dining area closed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti while 50 feet away a movie studio was allowed to set up an outdoor eating area. Garcetti responded to Marsden by ignoring the double standard she pointed out, instead saying the restrictions were necessary to stop the virus.
Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, told Politico that California’s severe restrictions have decimated businesses while doing nothing to stop the virus.
“Nationally, there has been a kaleidoscopic application of every imaginable type of lockdown order with California being the most restrictive and inflicting the most devastation on small businesses and the most economically vulnerable service workers. And still, we are none the better as far as COVID is concerned,” Condie told the outlet in a statement. “In fact in L.A. where indoor and outdoor dining are completely shut down, with indoor dining [closed] since July, the virus rages on.”
California Democrats have insisted they’re following the science, yet there is no evidence to suggest their lockdowns are working.
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