Gohmert defends Texas handling of coronavirus

Daily Wire:

Speaking on Newsmax’s “Saturday Report,” Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), ripped into the mainstream media that has been focusing on the spike in coronavirus cases in Texas and Florida, saying of the numbers in the last month, “If you look at the deaths, the precious lives that have been lost, New York deaths are up over 8,000 in that period; Texas is up a little over 700.” Gohmert followed with a swipe at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, adding, “Every life is precious, but we don’t have a governor sending people with COVID to our nursing homes. We don’t have them killing and spreading the virus to people who are most vulnerable like Gov. Cuomo did.”

Responding to a Washington Post article titled, “New research explores how conservative media misinformation may have intensified the severity of the pandemic,” Gohmert told host Grant Stinchfield, “That’s what they do: They lie; they misrepresent, and they’ve taken their lead – well, I’m not sure if they’ve taken their lead from the Democrats or the Democrats took their lead from the media, but either way they work together and they misrepresent the facts.”

The article stated:

In recent weeks, three studies have focused on conservative media’s role in fostering confusion about the seriousness of the coronavirus. Taken together, they paint a picture of a media ecosystem that amplifies misinformation, entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking concrete steps to protect themselves and others.

Gohmert answered those in the media focused on Texas and Florida: “And if you look at the ‘upticks,’ we don’t have a complete explanation for those things yet, other than, like in Texas, you look back at numbers May 26 to this morning and Texas is up about 75, 76, 77 thousand new cases.”


He continued, “We’re testing people like crazy here in Texas. But, Grant, if you look at the deaths, the precious lives that have been lost, New York deaths are up over 8,000 in that period; Texas is up a little over 700. Every life is precious, but we don’t have a governor sending people with COVID to our nursing homes. We don’t have them killing and spreading the virus to people who are most vulnerable like Gov. Cuomo did.”
...

The mortality rate is lower because, among other things, most of the people diagnosed with the disease do not have the underlying conditions that make it fatal.  They are generally younger.  Many of them may have contracted the disease in the mass gatherings surrounding the death of George Floyd.  Others may have gathered at bars that had inadequate social distancing or airconditioning systems that circulated the virus.

While there is some concern in some areas that the hospitals might be overwhelmed, The Houston Methodist system which operates several facilities in the Houston metro area has indicated that it is still capable of handling elective surgeries.