S.D. became a covid-19 hot spot after governor resisted issuing stay-at-home order

[left-of-center2012]

As governors across the country fell into line in recent weeks, South Dakota’s top elected leader stood firm: There would be no statewide order to stay home. Such edicts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Kristi L. Noem said disparagingly, reflected a “herd mentality.” It was up to individuals — not government — to decide whether “to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.” And besides, the first-term Republican told reporters at a briefing this month, “South Dakota is not New York City.”

But now South Dakota is home to one of the largest single coronavirus clusters anywhere in the United States, with more than 300 workers at a giant ­pork-processing plant falling ill. Increasingly exasperated local leaders, public health experts and front-line medical workers begged Noem to intervene Monday with a more aggressive state response. “A shelter-in-place order is needed now. It is needed today,” said Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, whose city is at the center of South Dakota’s outbreak and who has had to improvise with voluntary recommendations in the absence of statewide action.

But the governor continued to resist. Instead, she used a media briefing Monday to announce trials of a drug that President Trump has repeatedly touted as a potential breakthrough in the fight against the coronavirus, despite a lack of scientific evidence. “It’s an exciting day,” she boasted, repeatedly citing her conversations with presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The South Dakota State Medical Association wrote Noem a letter April 3 warning the governor that the state “may soon face the challenges and hardships currently being seen in New York and other large cities across the country if a shelter in place order is not issued immediately.” Noem is one of five governors representing relatively rural states — North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Arkansas are the others — still resisting such calls. All are Republicans.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/south-dakotas-governor-resisted-ordering-people-to-stay-home-now-it-has-one-of-the-nations-largest-coronavirus-hot-spots/2020/04/13/5cff90fe-7daf-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html

[riversedge]

1. geech!! Gov bragging about chats with Jared Kushner. uga uga

[jpak]

2. Rural Republicans are immune

Keep saying that

[PSPS]

3. "South Dakota is not New York City." She forgot to add "yet."

So the state has a governor who, to please her cult leader and his family, will gleefully promote the needless death and suffering of the state's citizens (as well as those wherever they travel.) I guess most Kansans are part of the same cult because, in a rational world, such behavior would stop at the nearest lamp post.

[rgbecker]

4. Sarah Palin's sister?

[link:

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This is a video of her explanation for doing nothing for the safety of her citizens.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. That's okay. They plan to take Trumpy's Hydroxychloroquine cure.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/south-dakota-to-hold-first-statewide-clinical-trial-of-hydroxychloroquine/ar-BB12zitR?li=BBnb7Kz

[crickets]

6. I feel so sorry for her constituents.

Noem screwed them over and some will pay the ultimate price.

[Cha]

7. What does Gov KN's proclamation "reflect"

Sheer arrogant ignorance? Maybe Stupidity?