ICYMI: Kemp’s Only COVID Strategy is Crossing His Fingers

Brain Kemp’s total disregard for the lives of Georgians has been on full display this week as he continues to reject any efforts to combat COVID-19 and admits he’s not even keeping track of infection rates. 

After issuing an executive order last week barring local governments from taking steps to blunt COVID-19 spread, this week he revealed that rather than enact measures to mitigate the spread of the virus, he’s simply going to be “keeping my fingers crossed.” And in Athens yesterday, a day after Georgia recorded one of its highest daily COVID-19 case counts ever, Kemp admitted he hadn’t been keeping tabs on the spiking daily case rates, saying, “That’s kind of surprising.”

“As more unvaccinated Georgians become infected and lose their lives to COVID-19, Brian Kemp has all but given up on trying to stop the spread of the virus. Crossing your fingers and hoping for the best is not how you govern a state through a once-in-a-generation pandemic,” said Rebecca Galanti, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “Kemp is so out of touch with the crisis Georgia is facing right now that he can’t even bother to keep up with the case numbers. Our state deserves a leader more concerned with saving Georgians’ lives than their upcoming election, and Brian Kemp has proven time and again that he is not that leader.”

Brian Kemp’s COVID-19 strategy:

• Cross his fingers and hope things get better. On the potential for Georgia’s case numbers to fall, Kemp said, “I hope that happens sooner rather than later” and “I’m keeping my fingers crossed” – hollow sentiments that he has refused to back with meaningful action.
• Ban local governments from trying to protect their communities. Last week Kemp issued an executive order banning local governments from taking steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 in their jurisdictions, which a group of Georgia mayors forcefully condemned as counterproductive and harmful.
• Make empty gestures towards overwhelmed hospitals. Rather than doing anything to mitigate COVID and lower demand on overwhelmed hospitals, Kemp is just sending more staff, a move that many have pointed out “won’t solve the issue of crowded hospitals.” 
• Not even look at the daily case numbers. A day after Georgia recorded one of its highest daily COVID-19 case counts ever, Kemp admitted he hadn’t been keeping tabs on the daily case rates. “‘That’s kind of surprising. I didn’t think that when I looked at the numbers,’ Kemp said when informed of Wednesday’s case count.”
• Refuse to ramp up vaccination efforts. Kemp continues to offer weak encouragement to Georgians to get vaccinated, telling people to simply “consider” getting vaccinated and to speak with their doctor – despite the fact that so many Georgians do not have a primary care physician because they don’t have health insurance due to Republicans’ failure to expand Medicaid. Kemp has also said he “will let the market dictate” ramping up mass vaccination efforts again, rather than working to promote the vaccine and increase demand

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