Scott Powers
Florida’s Senior Republican Sen. Marco Rubio cautioned people Wednesday that they must expect a next phase of the coronavirus crisis to include some limited level of back to work while knowing virus infections and deaths will continue at some level.
In a two-minute video Rubio Tweeted Wednesday he cautions that public leaders now face the difficult choice of pushing for a mix of a measured economic reopening along with the expectation that COVID-19 cases will consequently rise again and deaths will continue at some level.
Rubio said the public policy problem is determining what balance is achievable and acceptable between economic reemergence and reduced, but continued coronavirus pandemic.
He also insisted that, to do that, the country first must achieve levels of testing, isolation, and contact tracing that many believe still are far from reach to make sure the most vulnerable in the population remain protected. More is also needed to ensure hospitals can handle surges, social distancing continues to the greatest extent possible and effective medical treatment is developed.
“No one can tell you for certain when all of this is going to end. But here are some fundamental truths that people need to hear, and they need to start hearing now,” Rubio begins.
“Number one: Until we have a vaccine, the infection rate and the death rate is never going to be zero.”
“Number two,” Rubio continued, “any opening that we make that allow people to come in contact with more people is going to increase the number of infections, is going to increase the number of deaths.”
“Number three: What we are doing now is not sustainable long-term. We cannot keep the country in this condition for six months, for nine months, for a year, until we have a vaccine.”
“And number four,” Rubio concluded, “things aren’t just going to go magically back to the way they were on March 1st; no matter what kind of openings we see, it will not be back immediately to business as usual,” he said.
Rubio’s message from there is one of society and political leaders seeking whatever optimal balance is possible between an improved but still recessed economy and an improved but still dangerous coronavirus pandemic.
That might be a message that plays particularly bad in Florida, given that something less than business-as-usual is not likely to include robust confidence in tourism and leisure, Florida’s economic bread and butter, and protection of the most vulnerable would mean far more caution in Florida, the nation’s second-largest population (behind California) of vulnerable senior citizens.
Rubio does not necessarily address Floridians directly in the video.
“The road ahead will not be easy,” Rubio concludes.
22 comments
Pedroi
April 15, 2020 at 2:10 pm
Just like all conservatives, willing to risk your life for their wealth or business! Unionize or just demand better benefits and pay at least.
Sonja Fitch
April 15, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Hush Marco. We have not even hit the damn plateau stupid. The economy is wrecked get over it. Get the testing done. Now now. Folks will die because your values are for the Fing rich! I95 corridor in the south is negligent in testing dealing with facts I10 corridor is another Fing mess !
Lil Snarko
April 15, 2020 at 5:12 pm
Marco needs to be on the factory floor the day it reopens, shaking hands and welcoming people back to work. Until then his words are meaningless.
Patrick Thompson
April 15, 2020 at 6:10 pm
Citizens don’t want politicians (especially well-lobbied ones) in charge of life and death decisions like our healthcare.
Roger
April 15, 2020 at 11:29 pm
I think that what the Congressional Senate and the House need to do now is put together a task-force of professionals from key areas, such as health, education, Labor & the economy, transportation & infrastructure, etc to come up with a structured plan to move forward. They need to be using this time to do that. Trump has his task-force, but it seems to me that one is needed at the Congressional levels, as well.
Punk Kitty
April 16, 2020 at 12:12 am
“Some of you may die. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” – Marco Rubio.
Ken
April 16, 2020 at 4:37 am
Says the man sheltered at home. Until he and trump are in meat plants on the day we “open” his words mean nothing.
Linda Lanham
April 16, 2020 at 12:51 pm
Might I suggest you and your colleagues lead the way and return to YOUR jobs. Show us how i afraid you all are. Actions speak louder than your words. Human lives should never be so lightly taken. I thought your party was the Pro Life party. Pah
Angie
April 16, 2020 at 1:38 pm
He can volunteer to die first.
Norberto
April 16, 2020 at 1:58 pm
So many excellent sound bites in these comments. Rubio is totally owned by Trump, McConnell, and the RNC. He’s too afraid to stand up for his own beliefs.
Rubio’s advice will perpetuate the pandemic. Let him bravely expose himself and his family first. Who cares about the recommendations of health care experts? Go big, Little Marco!
News flash – Rubio lost the respect of decent people years ago when he took back his true heart felt opinion of Trump and chose to be just another defender of Our Dear Dotard.
James W
April 18, 2020 at 11:35 pm
I agree, but not sure he has any beliefs other than keeping his position – The above shows how out of touch he is with reality – and how selfish and self centered he is. This kind of behavior will only make the situation worse. If he ever had beliefs it was to be the guy who was “in” with the Repugnicans and not his constituents.
Matt Weiss
April 16, 2020 at 2:24 pm
Nobody wants the country locked down forever, but what the public wants and needs to hear is sensible plans, based on and guided by the best science, with benchmarks, not dates, and contingency plans for what to do if the virus spikes again, and NONE of this should be instituted before we are past the peak, which we are not.
In the meanwhile, rather than talking about how the current situation is economically unsustainable, how about following the lead of other countries and actually offering substantial help (I don’t care who signs the freaking checks, so if the president needs to feel like Daddy Warbucks, whatever) to the workers and small businesses most vulnerable. Republicans have wrapped their minds around trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see when it’s to kick tax money back to the super-rich, but they choke on this no-brainer?
What we don’t need is tough talk from politicians at no real risk giving us a false choice: the economy will NOT restart until we have sensible plans and adequate testing in place. Telling people they just have to risk their lives for the GDP will do way more harm than good.
Meme
April 17, 2020 at 9:27 am
Agree 1000 percent
Annette Mayer
April 16, 2020 at 2:44 pm
“Some of you may die. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” – Marco Rubio
What you needed to say is that you were willing to sacrifice yourself, not us.
So hear is a challange. The day Disney reopens and throngs show up from around the state and the country, I want you to be at the gate and shake every single persons hand. Let’s see how you get ill and make others ill.
Are you willing to risk your life and the life of your family and friends? Answer that question. We want to know.
Charles Imbergamo
April 17, 2020 at 12:59 am
Many have voiced similar sentiments I share…I am one of those 65+ year olds and I certainly don’t want this guy or the president to tell me business as usual staring as soon as tomorrow…if they want to expose themselves to the public-good,but I still will take all the precautions possible…they want to get back to where we were on March 1st-never! There will be fewer mom and pop businesses,a high rate of unemployment still,more deaths because of some rushing head long into every day flow of traffic,etc. All of this insanity for the almighty $$$…
Hans Grasman
April 18, 2020 at 1:06 pm
Yes Charles, it is all about the almighty dollar. We should consider a little
change to our national pledge to the flag to : One Nation full of greed and hatred .
Paula Ryan
April 17, 2020 at 9:08 am
Why do politicians, particularly those who have no medical training, formal education in finance and economics, speak as if they know stuff. He is a toddler and I would not let this man watch my pet snake. Crawl back from whence you came.
Maria Gil
April 17, 2020 at 9:55 am
Great job ! Why don’t you start with your family first to set the example ? Thought you cared. I understand we need to open at some time but this shame of a president had been wanting to open since day 1 and all his puppets you included go along with whatever he wants. Shame on you. You are an embarrassment to the Cuban heritage.
Melinda Raske
April 17, 2020 at 1:27 pm
so start pressuring the leader of your frickin’ party…get your guidelines done…talk to the idiots who can actually get this shit done!…Geeze…
Gisele
April 17, 2020 at 1:52 pm
So “pro-life ” of him.
Robin Stutsman
April 18, 2020 at 11:00 pm
Sure Mark, I suggest you set an example by volunteering in the ER in Miami. Or maybe you can help with the mass burials on Hart Island?
Would you like some covfefe with your coronavirus?
Horacioy
April 20, 2020 at 11:13 am
I wonder how many of his own family members he is banking on dying? Is he pre choosing any?
Comments are closed.