Trump to Blame for Fredericksburg COVID-19 Deaths |

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By Bill Johnson-Miles, Stafford County Democratic Committee Member

There have been two confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the Fredericksburg area, and I put the blame squarely on Trump and his administration. The first victim is a 20-year retired Army veteran. According to his daughters, Christopher Hall tried repeatedly to get tested for the virus. They did not find out until after he died that he had the deadly coronavirus. This is how we treat our Veterans. The second victim is 10-year Navy veteran Peter Armatis.

Had Trump reacted immediately after being warned by his intelligence organizations in early January and ordered tests at that time, maybe the two veterans would still be alive. Maybe the nearly 6,000 deaths in N.Y. (as of April 7) would be a much smaller number. Experts are now expecting up to 240,000 deaths across our country.

The COVID-19 outbreak was identified in South Korea and in the U.S. on the same day, Jan. 19, and the U.S. is reporting 15 times more confirmed cases and deaths than South Korea, despite having only about six times the population. Experts say the disparity is due to South Korea ramping up testing more quickly and implementing preventive measures much earlier.

Instead of downplaying the deadly COVID-19 for political reasons, had Trump matched South Korea’s effort, we might be doing so much better. And that includes the economy. Millions who have lost their jobs are now trying to sign up for unemployment. How long before the soup lines start forming?

On March 6 Trump said: “Anybody that needs a test, gets a test…. They have the tests, and the tests are beautiful.” Tell that to retired Sergeant First Class Hall who died without being tested. His daughter took him to the hospital a third time on March 29 but could not stay with him because visitors are not allowed. “That was the last time we saw my dad alive,” said Hall’s daughter.

This is a post by a member of the Stafford County Democratic Committee. This post does not necessarily reflect the views of the Stafford County Democratic Committee, the Democratic Party of Virginia, or the Democratic Party of America.