Against public health advice, Devin Nunes urges people to go to pubs as coronavirus spreads
Rep. Devin Nunes on Sunday urged people go out to local pubs in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a recommendation that runs contrary to advice a federal health official made the same morning.
Later that same day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked for closure of bars, wine bars, breweries and pubs, and called for restaurants to reduce their occupancy by half in light of the coronavirus threat. Other governers and mayors in Ohio, Illinois and Boston had given similar directions.
Coronavirus is spreading in Nunes’ San Joaquin Valley dsitrict. A second case of coronavirus was confirmed in Nunes’ home county of Tulare Friday. At least two cases have been confirmed in Fresno County, which he also represents.
School districts throughout both counties have announced plans to close because of the virus.
In an appearance on Maria Bartiromo’s Fox News show on Sunday, Nunes, R-Tulare, was cautioning that there is no reason to panic-buy items at a grocery store, since there was no food shortage in the country. He also said people should be going to local restaurants and pubs.
“If you’re healthy, you and your family, it’s a great time to go out and go to a local restaurant, likely you can get in easily. Let’s not hurt the working people in this country that are relying on wages and tips to keep their small business going,” Nunes said. “Just don’t run to the grocery store and buy $4,000 worth of groceries, you know, go to your local pub.”
His recommendation contrasts with advice from a number of public health experts, who have encouraged people to change routines and avoid crowded places to slow the spread of the virus.
Before Newsom’s announcement, many restaurants had taken steps to reassure customers, such as by spacing out tables or promoting drive-thru service.
A top federal health official who spoke on Sunday morning news shows urged people to think twice before going to a restaurant.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at that National Institute of Health, said that same morning that he would not go to a restaurant. But he would not say he supported a ban on going to restaurants, which other countries such as France and Italy have done.
“You don’t want to make a pronouncement that no one should ever go into a restaurant. I mean, I think that might be overkill right now, but everything is on the table,” Fauci said on Face the Nation on CBS. “It may come to the situation where we strongly recommend. Right now, myself personally, I wouldn’t go to a restaurant.”
“I just wouldn’t because I don’t want to be in a crowded place,” he continued. “I have an important job to do. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m going to be all of a sudden self-isolating for 14 days.”
Nunes’ office did not respond to a request for comment or clarification.
Some restaurants in Nunes’ district have reported a dip in customers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday recommended suspending public gatherings of 50 or more people. Before Nunes’ comments, officials had recommended general social distancing and limiting non-essential contact with strangers.
There have been 2,592 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and 57 deaths due to the virus as of Sunday, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Five of those deaths have been in California.
Health and government officials have cautioned that the amount of cases could be much higher than currently known due to a lack of testing. The CDC has said some people with coronavirus are contagious even when they are not showing symptoms.
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Against public health advice, Devin Nunes urges people to go to pubs as coronavirus spreads."
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