Rep. Barry Moore announced on Friday that he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19-and then he continued to criticize the regulations on wearing masks and advocate freedom of choice.
“I am sad to share that Heather and I are positive for COVID-19. For every possible range, I will continue to work and almost recover when I was quarantined,” the Republican Party of Alabama read in a shared statement. Facebook.
“Although I believe that every American has the freedom to make his own health-related decisions, I encourage you to discuss the different vaccines and therapies available with your doctor and make informed decisions about the prevention and treatment that is best for you. “He added. .
Moore-the person who protested against the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy PelosiRegarding the mask regulations for representatives in the U.S. Capitol-refused to disclose whether he was vaccinated, and continued to criticize the federal mask regulations in an interview Daily Beast Saturday.
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“I just don’t believe the federal government’s order,” he said. “If I died of COVID-19 yesterday, I don’t want to impose my beliefs and opinions on anyone… I’m not sure if I wear a mask. Whether you think I should or not, it will really help anyone.”
The new congressman also falsely claimed that the vaccines were “untested,” saying that we “do not know much about them.”
Moore’s infection came as the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surged across the United States, including Alabama, which has a low vaccination rate and approximately 3,500 new cases per day. The Alabama Hospital Association said Wednesday that the number of ICU beds was “negative 29”, making it the first state to run out of the latest wave of viruses.
Alabama health officer, Dr. Scott Harris, said on Friday that the state “has not performed particularly well this week” as the number of hospitalizations continues to exceed the capacity of the healthcare system. In response, the state has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide resources to help its medical staff.
In the past few weeks, Alabama’s vaccination rate has risen. Among those who have received at least one dose, the state has risen from the last in the United States to 44th.
The Alabama Department of Public Health warned of an increase in child cases on Saturday, and more than 6,000 people have tested positive in the past two weeks.
The highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for approximately 95% of cases in the country.
Weekly newspaper Contact Moore for further comment.
