FACTS
Airports reported their busiest week since the arrival of Covid-19, with Thanksgiving-week travel numbers hitting the three million mark in the days leading up to the holiday. Travel regulations have loosened in most places within the U.S., but some states are still trying to clamp down on travel. The state of California has requested that out-of-state visitors quarantine for 2 weeks upon arrival. New York state went a step further by requiring either the same measure or their alternative testing plan – but not necessarily enforcing it. Hawaii also requires a 14-day quarantine, but unlike the others, has previously strictly enforced it with contact tracing measures, hefty fines, or arrest for those in violation of the mandate. Despite these measures, air travel is expected to increase even more with the arrival of Christmas.
LEFT
The Left generally criticizes people traveling or gathering during this time. David O’Connor, University of Wisconsin virologist, argued “Travel is going to be contributing to a bigger surge. What we see in the next couple weeks will tell us a lot about what will happen after Christmas. We’re in the midst of a catastrophe as it is. You don’t need a surge for it to become horrible. The health care systems are already stretched.”
“On Monday morning, people shuffled through check-in lines less than six feet apart and clustered around luggage conveyors awaiting their bags. Their presence defied both logic and health guidelines: governors and public officials have been pleading for weeks for people to stay home amid a rapid surge of coronavirus cases.”
Haley Smith, Reporter for the Los Angeles Times
Even regarding small holiday gatherings, USA Today‘s Adrianna Rodriguez wrote, “Although there isn’t much data available on small gatherings, experts speculate they could be one of the major drivers of the pandemic, especially when they include multiple households.”
RIGHT
The Right believes people should continue to go about their lives and gather with family, unless they are in the high-risk category. They continually point out the inconsistencies in virus regulations and standards:
“This month in California: @GavinNewsom ate lavish meal w/dozen cronies at French Laundry; @SheilaKuehl ate @ fancy restaurant AFTER voting to kill LA County restaurants; @sliccardo ate Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s after lecturing you not to; But your kids can’t go to school.”
Harmeet K. Dhillon, National Committeewoman for the Republican National Committee for Californi
Regarding some governors’ encouragements to report those violating “house rules” (no more than six people allowed in a household in Oregon), political activist and commentator Courtney Holland tweeted, “Beginning of 2020: ‘We are all in this together.’ End of 2020: ‘Call this hotline to report your neighbor.'” In another tweet, commenting on San José Mayor Sam Liccardo’s failure to comply with his own Thanksgiving “rules,” Holland commented, “Another Democrat leader breaking their own rules…Thanksgiving for me but not for thee!” One post from conservative satire website Babylon Bee mocked current realities: “Governor Newsom orders police to go door to door arresting anyone not depressed and alone.”
CONTROVERSY
In another recent double-standard theme for Democratic leaders, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock jumped on a plane to be with family for Thanksgiving after pleading with people to stay home and not travel during the holidays. Both the Left and the Right were outraged at his hypocrisy.
The most annoying part is the public who accept the “he made a mistake” bs. There was no mistake, he made a conscious decision based on him viewing himself as a diff class of citizen. Those rules are for the regular people, not for him. Same with Fauci, Cuomo, etc
— josh haggar (@JoshHaggar) November 26, 2020
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