“Reopen VA Rally” Set for Wednesday in Richmond. Check Out Its Absurd “Talking Points If Approached by Media”

Check out the wildly misleading/false “talking points if approached by media” for the scheduled “Reopen VA Rally” this Wednesday in Richmond, Virginia. I’ve put the claims in red, followed by a short debunking. Also note that far-right State Sen. Amanda Chase (R), a candidate for governor in 2021, has been sharing this nonsense on Facebook. Why is Facebook allowing this?

1. “Government Coronavirus projections have proven markedly inaccurate, as evidenced by them being continually revised downward”//In fact, projections are generally in a wide range, taking into account various potential courses of action – or inaction – by people/governments. One major reason why projections might be and/or have been revised downwards is because strong COVID-19 countermeasures, such as handwashing, social distancing, mask-wearing, etc. have *worked* and are “flattening the curve.” That, of course, is a very good thing, not something to be twisted into an argument to open things back up again, too soon, before we have sufficient testing and other measures in place.
2. “Even at the Coronavirus peak, in such hot spots as New York City, the predicted hospital bed and ventilator shortages did not materialize, and hospitals remained well below capactiy.”//Again, that’s because of the countermeasures taken by federal and state governments, businesses and individuals, which successfully “flattened the curve” and kept hospitals from being overwhelmed. And again, this is a GOOD THING, not an argument for ditching everything that’s working!
3. “Due to the Governor’s orders, hospitals are not allowed to perform ‘non-essential’ procedures. Patients needing cancer surgery, joint replacement, and other vital hospital services are unable to receive them.”//Yes, that’s a really bad thing, but…the reason for it is the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to prevent it from overwhelming hospitals, not because anyone is happy about that!
4. “ALL jobs are essential. The costs of the Governor’s economic shutdown far outweigh the short-term Coronavirus benefits, in the Commonwealth.”//Yes, all jobs are essential, and the fact is, those jobs are in grave danger as long as the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t vanquished. Hence, the need for the measures being taken – for damn good reason! – not just by a particular Governor, but in states across the country, at the federal level, and in pretty much every other country in the world.