An Alaska Republican changed his tune on the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rep. Don Young downplayed the disease as the “beer virus” earlier this month but now says it’s a public health emergency.
“Weeks ago, I did not fully grasp the severity of this crisis, but clearly we are in the midst of an urgent public health emergency,” Young said.
“This pandemic is dangerous and … is especially threatening our senior citizens, of which I am one,” the 86-year-old continued.
On March 13, Young told a group of seniors to “go forth” with their daily activities and claimed the seriousness of the pandemic was being overhyped by the media.
At the time, the congressman’s staff appeared to be taking the illness more seriously than their boss. His website included a link to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to prevent the spread of the virus. Most of the congressman’s events were also canceled because of the outbreak.
“I very strongly urge you to follow the CDC recommendations. Avoid large groups and continue to practice social distancing … Observe a 14-day quarantine if you have traveled from out of state,” Young said Thursday.
Alaska has 69 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with one death, as of Friday morning.
