Social distancing, politicized: Trump allies are urging an end to isolation, worrying public health experts
WASHINGTON — How and whether to prevent disease is suddenly a political question. And in the face of the economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus, a small but growing number of conservatives has come down forcefully on the side of “don’t.”
Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said during a Monday appearance on Fox News that elderly Americans should “take a chance” on their survival and put themselves at risk for coronavirus so the rest of America can restart the economy. President Trump has argued — on Twitter and in public appearances — that “THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM!” In Virginia, Jerry Falwell Jr., a conservative activist and president of Liberty University, said the school would welcome students back to campus next week, even as the state announced Monday it would shutter its public schools through the summer.
