Charlie, we need a dose of truth
Charlie Baker can’t spin his way out of this one.
While the CDC chief has a feeling of “impending doom,” Baker is staying the course. But coronavirus cases are on the rise in Massachusetts and nationally, and health experts are issuing warnings urging officials to curb reopening plans to combat the virus.
“I think we are seeing many of these states are opening up at levels we wouldn’t necessarily recommend,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday in an unusually dire tone.
Walensky didn’t single out Massachusetts but Gov. Charlie Baker recently loosened restrictions on gatherings and restaurants, despite evidence of a possible surge in COVID-19 cases. Baker continued his mask mandate.
But cases in Massachusetts have increased more than 40% this month, though hospitalizations have continued to decline, officials said.
And what is Baker’s reaction?
Hold firm and spin. “Massachusetts continues to outperform the rest of the nation in vaccine distribution, especially among older residents and other vulnerable populations … even as the Commonwealth has taken steps to reopen its economy,” Baker spokesman Terry MacCormack said in a statement.
It’s great that the state’s vaccination program has improved from its dismal beginning, but vaccines are not coming fast enough to hold off COVID.
As a former business executive, Baker is often consumed with numbers. He’s a numbers cruncher — which can be good if you’re leading a baseball team or a budget office.
But Baker is the chief executive of a state, and his tone matters. If he is reopening businesses and filling up restaurants, that sets a tone that everything is getting better.
When in fact the case numbers suggest it’s not.
This is not just a health issue anymore, it’s a political one. Baker’s success in combating the virus will largely determine whether he gets another term — if he wants one. His Democratic opponents — sensing an opportunity to capitalize on the growing COVID numbers – are not surprisingly criticizing his leadership. Baker’s popularity is declining.
The GOP governor has a constituency to please, and right now most Republicans — as well as many independents — are on the side of reopening the state as quickly as possible. So he’s stuck in a tough place.
Rather than retreat behind numbers and spin about vaccination, Baker needs to get up in front of his fellow Bay Staters and tell the truth. Sometimes telling the truth is not good politics.
But right now we need a good dose of the truth — that the coronavirus is still here and menacing our most vulnerable populations.
If he doesn’t want to reverse his stance of reopening business, he at least should come out and relay what health experts like Walensky are telling us. And he can’t repeat enough his admonition to stay vigilant. Because this is no time to relax.