New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo lashed out at protesters calling to reopen the state earlier this month, saying at a news conference, “you have no right to jeopardize my health … and my children’s health and your children’s health.”
Cuomo’s directives have been enforced throughout the state: A New York City tanning salon owner told Fox News he was fined $1,000 for reopening briefly last week, calling the situation “insane” and saying he already was “broke.”
On Friday, however, Cuomo said he “stands” with those defying stay-at-home orders: “Nobody is sanctioning the arson, and the thuggery and the burglaries, but the protesters and the anger and the fear and the frustration? Yes. Yes, and the demand is for justice.”
"Over the course of mere days, the 'infinite lockdown' crowd has since abandoned the virtues of social distancing, and are now cheering on the rioters burning down their cities nationwide (while refusing to stand six feet apart while doing so!)," Matt Palumbo noted in a June 1 analysis for Bongino.com.
By not social distancing, we are putting others in danger of contracting and dying from coronavirus, politicians who imposed strict lockdown orders on their states and cities have said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had warned that in-person worship services would be a “public-health disaster,” disregarding constituents’ concerns that he was violating their First Amendment rights. Now, Frey's administration has been distributing masks to rioters, even though public gatherings of 10 or more are still banned in the city.
"The mayors of Washington D.C. and Los Angeles (which wants to extend their lockdown by three months), also supported strict measures for those breaking quarantine – unless it’s to destroy their city," Palumbo wrote.
"Hypocrisy aside, gathering tens of thousands of people to violently riot poses a far greater health risk in terms of spreading the coronavirus than does people enjoying a warm day at the beach in Florida, or re-opening a hair salon at 25 percent capacity. That much is obvious – except to nearly every Democrat leader in America."
Writing for Reason on May 31, Robby Soave noted that the protesters are "breaking just about every rule of social distancing. And many of the most committed voices in support of continuing the aggressive, painful measure to contain the spread of coronavirus suddenly have nothing to say about it."
Soave added:
Photos and videos of people gathering in parks in New York City, beaches in California, and public places elsewhere, have generated thunderous denunciation on social media for the past few weeks. Shaming people for failing to socially distance is now common practice for health authorities, government officials, amateur social media sleuths, and of course, many journalists in the mainstream press.Meanwhile, unprecedented numbers of residents are moving out of New York City, the metropolitan area hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, according to local moving companies.
Again, if we are to believe the earlier, dire warnings from public health officials about what would happen if lockdowns were relaxed too quickly, people who fail to practice aggressive social distancing will spread the disease and get others killed. By the logic of lockdown supporters, even the protesters who are practicing strict non-violence have a lot of blood on their hands.
Roadway Moving President Ross Sapir told FOX Business that people are moving out of Manhattan in numbers he has “never seen before,” as his company deals with its busiest season since its 2008 inception.
“[Business is] double or triple compared to any other season as far as moving out of the city,” Sapir said.
On some days, Roadway experiences a 200 percent increase in inquiries from people considering leaving New York. Its clientele consists largely of higher net-worth individuals, typically 25-year-old to 45-year-old professionals in well-to-do parts of Manhattan.
United Van Lines CEO Marc Rogers told FOX Business that the majority of residents moving out of Manhattan, 61 percent, are earning over $100,000.
Free Press International