Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, who is again trying to represent Georgia at the national level, says he would support another round of economy busting lockdowns if “experts” recommended it to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Ossoff said on Sunday’s “State of the Union” program on CNN that he would support a new round of lockdowns in his state if CDC experts recommended it, the New York Post reported.
“I think we should follow the expertise of public health experts, like those of the CDC, which is based here in Georgia. And if that is the consensus of the public health community, we need to take that advice very seriously. And politicians need to recognize the limits of our own knowledge and wisdom,” Ossoff said after being asked where he stood on new coronavirus restrictions.
“Epidemiologists who dedicate their careers and their training to studying the spread of infectious disease are qualified to advise us on the correct mitigation procedures. And the problem we have had all year is that politicians have been suppressing and ignoring public health advice. It’s time to trust the experts, listen to public health professionals in a public health crisis,” he continued.
CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed Ossoff on how far he would take such restrictions.
“If the CDC and its leadership gave a strong indication that those kinds of stronger mitigation measures are necessary to save lives and contain the spread of the virus, it would be malpractice for politicians to ignore that advice,” Ossoff responded.
“There are more than 2,000 Americans dying per day. The spread is out of control. And the problem is, we have ignored the public health experts. So, I will be listening to them and not to political consultants, pollsters, or folks who are looking out for their own financial interests, like my opponent,” he added.
Georgia has had 454,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,198 deaths associated with the virus.
During this same interview on CNN, Ossoff said he welcomed support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who endorsed the candidate on Saturday.
“I welcome his support,” Ossoff said on CNN. “Again, look, I think that his advocacy for ensuring that health care is a human right in this country … is welcome, is necessary, is appreciated. And so is his support.”
The Washington Free Beacon reported that Ossoff’s acceptance of Sanders’ support might not go over well with Georgia voters.
“Ossoff’s praise for Sanders could undermine the Georgia Democrat’s ability to distance himself from the far-left senator’s progressive policies. Ossoff has repeatedly claimed he does not support Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, both of which Sanders has championed,” the outlet reported. “Ossoff’s comments came one day after Sanders endorsed the Georgia Democrat in his bid to unseat Republican senator David Perdue. Perdue’s campaign accused Ossoff of ‘casually praising radical socialists and their dangerous agendas.’”